


Reconciliation

by Miki_chan13



Category: RWBY
Genre: Addressing the elephant in the room that is "So That's How It Is", BAMF Oscar Pine, Don't copy to another site, Especially Ozpin, Everyone Needs Therapy, Hurt/Comfort, Let RWBY and Ozpin make up 2019, Let RWBY and Ozpin reconcile 2019, Lie "Listen to your mother" Ren, Literally in the title, Maria Calavera gives no fucks, Morally gray characters talking about their feelings the fanfiction, Multi, Nora "Don't talk to my sons ever again" Valkyrie, Ozpin is a massive Stepford Smiler and it is painful to watch, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Oscar Pine, Protective of Ozpin! Oscar Pine, Qrow Branwen tries to get his shit together, Reconciliation, Slow Burn, post volume 6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2019-10-19 15:51:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 84,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17604320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miki_chan13/pseuds/Miki_chan13
Summary: “We did something… horrible. And we escalated a situation that put a lot of people at risk. So we have to make it right. We have to get better, be better… and then, we can make things right with everyone. We can make things right… with Oz.”“… the others aren’t gonna like it,” Ruby said sadly.Oscar’s eyes hardened. “Well they’re just gonna have to deal with it.” His hand settled against his chest. “We can’t let things stay like this. I can’t let things stay like this. And I won’t.”Post Volume 6. The group and Ozpin try to reconcile. The keyword being "try".





	1. Chapter 1

_Hey, are you there?_

Nothing.

Oscar fidgeted with his belts for another moment, nervously looking over the others’ sleeping forms. The light from the moon filtered in through the bars of their cells, casting long shadows against the floors. He sighed.

* * *

_“Stay calm. It’s going to be okay.”_

* * *

_“You mean he’s been watching us this whole time?!”_

* * *

Was he looking at them now, through his eyes? Or did he lock himself away once more? When Ozpin had re-appeared, Oscar had felt flickers of surprise and confusion before a gentle calm had come over the other’s presence. That had been enough to steady him- and enough to land the plane without any deaths.

The others… their reactions had been varied but Oscar expected that. Other than Yang, no one was angry as much as they were surprised or wary. Oscar had heard them speak of Ozpin- he knew of the missing fourth member of JNPR and how he had been grooming other students like Ruby and Jaune’s teams to combat Salem without giving them the full story.

He had wanted answers too. But the price…

His hand came up to clutch at his chest. He had felt it all: the terror, the anguish, the mortification, all as acutely as if it were his own. And considering the merge, it would eventually become his own. Then the resignation that followed in watching the anger, disbelief and disgust of the others with no sign of understanding or empathy…

_I’m sorry._

He had been thinking it towards since Ozpin had come back, hoping the man would hear or acknowledge it. Right now, it didn’t matter to him what he had done or how many people had died in this war. No one should have gone through what he went through- not the thousands of years, or having those memories pried open for all to see.

It wouldn’t surprise Oscar if Ozpin lost all faith or trust in them. He’d be within his rights to.

“Still up?”

Oscar looked up- Ruby smiled tiredly from where she leaned against the bars of her cell door across from his own. “Yeah.”

She gave a weak laugh. “My eardrums are still ringing from General Ironwood’s lecture.”

Oscar was torn between smiling ans grimacing. He knew that they were in for a rough landing when they saw Atlas (A FLOATING CITY WHAT EVEN) surrounded on all sides by airships (”Mantel-5, welcome back.”) But the fact that General Ironwood was there to greet them (with a look that could kill a man a hundred times over) and then “escort” them away- because while Cordovin had given them the chance to leave, the theft and fight had still been broadcasted to Atlas- quickly destroyed any feeling of triumph the group had.

And when they explained why Ozpin wasn’t present to give him the details…

* * *

_“If you think you’ll receive any sympathy from me, you are sorely mistaken. Be grateful I’m not sentencing you to the full time for your crimes.”_

* * *

Oscar’s eyes flickered over to where Qrow was snoring, his entire left cheek purple and black with part of his lip split.

* * *

_”Why didn’t you do anything to stop this?! What, were you just drinking while all this was going on?!”_

_“… um…”_

**_CRACK!_ **

* * *

Yang and Blake were asleep against the wall- and if it didn’t exist, they’d be back-to-back. Maria had taken it in stride and was the first to fall asleep.

* * *

_“It’s bad enough that you compromised the only man capable of giving us direction and wasted a question on the relic, but you let loose the most compromising information possible in front of a complete stranger! What if she had been a spy, or enemy?!”_

_“You know it’s rude to speak of someone when they’re right in front of you.”_

_“You’re not involved in this!”_

_“I’m feeling pretty involved!”_

* * *

Nora was snoring quietly, sprawled over her cot while Ren and Jaune were curled up in their blankets.

Weiss… had been taken back to her manor. Oscar knew she hadn’t been eager to return, but one look at Jacques Schnee made it clear why. Ruby had made it clear that they wouldn’t leave Weiss alone from the moment it was made clear they’d be returning to Atlas. His eyes closed in sorrow at remembering the looks on their faces.

“This is my fault.”

Ruby looked out over the others, her eyes hidden by her bangs. “Ruby,” Oscar said gently, “you know that’s not-”

_“Don’t lie to me!”_

* * *

_“When Ozpin said he had trust in you, I went along with it. He’s wiser than I could have ever given him credit, and I only learned this after it was too late. But now, even I can see that his faith and patience was misplaced with you all. I’m cutting you out of the fight- from here on out, you are no longer affiliated with us. Any of you. You’ve all made it clear that you are not worthy of trust.”_

* * *

Her fingers clutched at the cell bars, eyes filled with tears. “I’m the one who asked Jinn! I’m the one who traumatized Oz! I’m the one who insisted on the plan! I’m the one who wouldn’t back down! I’m the one who wrecked the mecha! I’m the one who attracted the grimm!”

* * *

_“You’re not huntsmen, or huntresses. Neither would ever conduct themselves like you did. Right now… you’re nothing but criminals and thugs, bulldozing whatever’s in your way with no regard for consequence. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”_

* * *

Ruby crumbled to the ground, one fist slammed on the ground while her other hand was barely able to muffle her sobs. “Here I was, thinking we could do things better-! _But we only made everything worse!_ If I hadn’t- the Cotta-Arcs- Argus- Oz-!”

Oscar’s heart clenched harshly and while he knew it was impossible to reach her, his hand outstretched towards her, trying in vain to give her comfort.

“He must _hate me-”_ she choked out, voice cracking in despair on the last two words. “I’m the one who asked Jinn- the one who- _who-“_

_No. No. I don’t. I could never._

Oscar stiffened at the voice, filled with sorrow and compassion. “Ruby, he doesn’t hate you!” his voice cracked, eyes burning with tears. “He couldn’t!”

_“How do you-?!”_ Ruby began to snap before her eyes widened. “Is he-?”

But just as quickly as his voice and presence had returned, both were gone just as fast. “He’s gone again,” Oscar sighed before his gaze hardened with determination. “But I heard him. He doesn’t hate you Ruby- and I know it. I felt him- he was sad, and he wanted to help…”

Ruby stared in wonder before wiping the tears and snot away. The two sat in silence and Oscar desperately wished he could reach her.

“The first time I ever saw him…” Ruby said softly, “I got into a fight with some crooks. I thought I was going to go to jail- even though I had saved someone- and he just… came in with a plate of cookies.”

Oscar blinked at that- he had seen pictures of Professor Ozpin (and a younger Ruby) and the image of him just giving a plate of cookies to a fifteen year old girl was at once completely at odds with the man… and suited him exactly.

“I… I met him during the morning,” he said quietly- it felt like years had passed since then, even though it had only been a few months. “I felt something strange and I looked in the mirror. I felt crazy- and then out of nowhere, he just says ‘I’m Professor Ozpin’ so brightly. Like he was saying ‘the sky’s blue’ or ‘grass is green’.”

Ruby stifled a giggle. “That must have really shocking.”

“It was- I fell over backwards and nearly cracked my head open.”

“That’s nothing- you should have seen the initiation exam. We were launched right into a forest filled with grimm.” Her face adopted a half exaggerated, half sincere horrified expression. “And the worst part was that whoever we made eye-contact with first was gonna be our partner for the next four years!”

Okay, that was a little much- not just the platforms and grimm, but the eye-contact thing. What if he locked eyes with a jerk or something? How would they co-exist? But he could see that the thought of social activity was what horrified Ruby the most, and considering his own lack of friends and peers, he could identify with that.

“Well, it worked out for you didn’t it? You and Yang seem really close with Weiss and Blake.”

Ruby snorted a soft laugh. “Me and Weiss couldn’t stand each other at the beginning! You should’ve seen-”

She stopped, eyes rolling back before she sweat-dropped and said with a higher-pitched voice, “Actually, it’s better that you didn’t see.”

Oscar chuckled softly at that. “He sounds… unconventional.”

“He was… but he was really warm too. Weiss was mad at me at the beginning for not taking leadership seriously. And Oz helped me come to terms with it.”

She stopped for a moment. “He… he said he made more mistakes than any man, woman or child. But he didn’t consider making me leader one of them.”

Oscar smiled. “It wasn’t a mistake. You… you’re absolutely amazing,” he said with earnest.

Her smile fell off, expression saddened. “I don’t feel like it. It’s my fault we’re in this mess.”

Oscar frowned at the loss of the mood before his teeth clenched. He was not going to give up.

“You made a mistake, but you’re not the only one who did. We all made mistakes, every last one of us. We could have done better, we could have handled things differently… but we didn’t.”

His hands tightened on the bars. “But if we let that stop us, and didn’t try to make things better or improve… then we really wouldn’t have the right to be called huntsmen or huntresses.”

Ruby looked back at him, eyes wide. “Oscar…”

His chest tightened. “We did something… _horrible._ And we escalated a situation that put a lot of people at risk. So we have to make it right. We have to get better, be better… and then, we can make things right with everyone. We can make things right… with Oz.”

“… the others aren’t gonna like it,” Ruby said sadly, eyes flickering to where Yang, Qrow and Jaune’s cells were.

Oscar’s eyes hardened. “Well they’re just gonna have to deal with it.” His hand settled against his chest. “We can’t let things stay like this. _I_ can’t let things stay like this. _And I won’t.”_

Ruby looked at him with an expression he had only seen her use towards Ozpin before they went to Argus, or Qrow when he showed his power: admiration. He could feel his stomach flutter and his head ducked down, face burning.

“I’m in.”

“Huh?”

He looked back up as Ruby rose to her feet. “You’re right. We can’t let things stay like this. And you’ve made it clear… you’re gonna stand by his side, right?”

Oscar nodded, resolute.

“Then I will too.” Ruby gave him a true smile. “Promise.”

His smile widened. “Ruby… thank you.”

She nodded before giving a yawn. “We- we should… hit the hay.”

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Very funny,” before going back to his cot and pulling the blankets over him.

“Good night,” he murmured, to Ruby and Oz.

As sleep overtook him at last, he could hear a soft, _Good night,_ echo in his mind…


	2. Chapter 2

Oscar blinked awake, wincing from the cot's hardness. The light from outside was cold and gray but he could tell dawn wasn't far off now.

_Good morning._

He nearly gasped at the voice echoing gently in his mind before he calmed just as quickly, relief settling in right after. _Morning,_ he thought back.

_Are you well?_

_As well as I can be. What about you? How are you doing?_

He didn't get an answer but Oscar could feel several flickers of different emotions: forced calm, muted sadness... a flicker of resentment that was immediately and harshly crushed a second later. Oscar winced and his eyes closed.

_I'm sorry. You have every right to be angry-_

_That doesn't matter. Things could have gone much worse but they didn't._

The words were far too flippant and Oscar's eyes widened in disbelief at his words, barely registering the newest emotion. _We forced your memories out and then yelled at you for it when you were the most upset!_

_Correction: Miss Xiao-Long yelled at me for understandable reasons while the others questioned what to do in the background._

_Qrow punched you!_

_Also for understandable reasons- Qrow has always been an emotional person and that was not the first time we've come to blows. But it was the first time he actually managed to catch me by surprise._

Oscar couldn't believe what he was hearing. _I'm the one who told them how to use the relic!_

_You wanted answers. And the way I conducted myself... it was not the best way I could have handled things._

His teeth gritted together. _It's_ okay _to be angry about this! You don't have to pretend, not with me- we're going to become one and the same eventually._

Oscar could feel more emotions flicker before what he could only describe as _spiteful optimism_ crushed them. _Things could have been much worse._

_How?!_

_You could have given up entirely. You could have been beset by Grimm. You could have turned on each other and-_

The thought cut off abruptly and Oscar felt a fresh pang of grief and guilt before the spiteful optimism overpowered them both.

_But you didn't. None of you did. You're still committed to this cause and are still determined to fight._

Oscar's teeth grit together in frustration. It would have been so much easier if Oz was angry- but the fact that he was defending the others so calmly while refusing to acknowledge his own emotions made his stomach curdle and his mouth fill with a bitter taste.

_That doesn't excuse what we did. We hurt you, and kicked when you were down. That wasn't right-_

_Oscar._

The boy froze at the tone, authoritative and stern.

_I have been hurt by far worse, and for far more malicious reasons. If I was truly angry-_

  
**Clang!**

  
The thought cut off and Oscar felt his presence disappear again. He groaned under his breath in frustration at the interruption before it was cut off- General Ironwood was by his cell door with two guards.

Oscar got to his feet as the cell door opened, the two guards flanking him as he was led out. They kept walking in silence until they reached a conference room. General Ironwood took a chair and Oscar followed suit. The guards saluted quickly before quickly marching out.

"I'm sorry for that," the man said after the door closed. "It would look suspicious if I didn't bring you all in."

Oscar blinked before remembering the last night. "It's okay," he waved off. "I would have gone with them even if you offered me another place to stay."

"Oz-"

"I'm not Oz."

The man's eyes flickered before sighing harshly. "My apologies," before murmuring under his breath, "Gods, this is such a mess..."

Oscar could see the man's age more acutely- the dark circles under his eyes, the wrinkles on his face, the way he was barely holding himself up despite his really impressive muscles (Oscar felt absolutely puny next to everyone- when was puberty going to come?)

"It... could be worse," he said before General Ironwood's absolutely flat look made him shrink against his seat.

The look melted off before the man sighed again. "It could be better too."

"Well, it's not. We just have to deal with what we have, and hope for the best."

For a moment, Oscar feared he over-stepped himself. But all General Ironwood did was chuckle softly. "I can see how Oz's soul gravitated to you. He always said it was at random, but..."

Oscar's face burned- he wasn't sure if it was a compliment he wanted to accept. "General Ironwood, about my friends-"

"They won't be tried for the full sentence, but that's all the leniency they are going to get." His tone was final and stern. "They might have had good intentions, but they put an entire city at risk and stole Atlesian military tech when tensions couldn't be higher. If they are not punished, it will only invite others to follow their example."

_Please, tell him..._

Oscar froze as Oz's voice came back. _What?_

He listened to the man's plan, eyes widening. "Is that Oz?" General Ironwood's fists tightened, a look of hope in his eyes. "What is he saying?"

"He... he wants Teams RWBY and JNPR to enter Atlas Academy."

General Ironwood's eyes widened before hardening. "Out of the question."

"They've already fought against Salem's cronies- they've all got targets on their backs whether they're taken out of the fight or not. They've only had one year of formal schooling- they need more teaching."

"And how do I know that's what he really wants?" General Ironwood's eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're not just trying to protect them yourself?"

Oscar's eyes widened at Oz's next words and could barely get them out without cracking up despite the situation.

"Remember that time when you got drunk on the 8th and filmed yourself singing and dancing to the latest Sun-Stepping song in n-nothing but a lampshade? Qrow has never let you live that down once, and Glynda secretly keeps the video on her scroll."

The look on the man's face nearly broke Oscar's control right there. "You know how it's going to look, don't you?"

"They were given a great deal of freedom in Beacon, but little structure. Atlas Academy can give them that, along with discipline and downtime- they've felt like they've had to rush into things as quickly as possible, and that's what contributed to their theft. And they won't be going there as regular students, but rather under the Juvenile Placement."

General Ironwood nodded to this but he didn't look convinced. "You're too forgiving for your own good, Oz. What they did... there's no way I can condone what they did to you."

The rush of touched surprise and warmth made Oscar's eyes close in sadness. "Neither of us are asking you to," Oscar said determinedly. "I don't either- that's why I'm gonna talk to them about what happened."

"... I will see what I can do." He clicked a button on the desk and the door opened with a buzz, the guards coming back in. "And Oz, if you need anything..."

His expression was devastatingly concerned. "Please. Don't hesitate to ask."

_James... it's not your fault._

"He said it's not your fault," Oscar said quickly.

General Ironwood turned away, fists clenched and head bowing. That was the last Oscar saw of him before he was led back out.


	3. Chapter 3

Well.

This was worse than what she feared.

Weiss stared up at the bars erected over her door and window- she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep and dawn was slowly but surely approaching. Myrenaster had been wrenched out of her hands at the first possible moment and now she had no idea where it was or if her rapier was even in one piece.

She wished that the bruise on her cheek was the worst pain she was in. The slap before had been more startling than painful- she hadn’t expected a fist. And she hadn’t expected the bracelet that was slapped on a moment later, that dug into her arm with sharp prick-pins.

She had heard of aura collars- thick, metallic bands that dug into the skin and interrupted the flow of aura- and knew they were used to keep criminals and rogue hunters from escaping. But the fact that Jacques had bought it for the sole purpose of making absolute sure she wouldn’t be able to use her aura made her stomach twist in terror and nausea. It felt completely unnatural and left her feeling weaker than she ever remembered being despite her health.

Dust, she felt pathetic: she had stood up against armed criminals, fought for her life more times than she cared to keep track, took a spear through her side and came out stronger than ever, and helped take down multiple types of grimm. Yet she was helpless before a man whose only power laid with a name that wasn’t his by right.

A man who allowed the faunus workers to be branded like animals, from what Yang had described to her. The letters “SDC” scarring across the face of a man who put Blake through a nightmare no one should have been subjected to. She was relieved he was dead… but this brought her no joy or relief. She had known of the Schnee Dust Company’s “controversial labor laws”, but this…!

How isolated was she, how sheltered, that she didn’t even know what was happening to her own company’s workers? If she had so little idea of what was going on in her own family’s company, how could she hope to restore it’s good name?

A name that he had cut her off from. The only reason she was here now was because if word got out of a Schnee committing such blatant crimes, then the SDC would be in jeopardy. Or at least, that was the reasoning she figured out behind Jacques’ actions.

Were the others okay? Or at least in living conditions? Atlas had little mercy for criminals and the fact that Valian students and a Mistralian hijacked a plane and were partly responsible for attracting grimm to Argus… she could only imagine how tensions would rise between the three nations and what the fallout could bring about.

Weiss’s head rested in her hand. This was her fault: if she had just gone to Atlas herself, then she could have gotten a transport for the others and not have had to break the law. But she had been too scared to suggest it, too scared to go by herself back to-

She couldn’t even call this place “home”. All it was was the place where she lived- a gilded cage. Beacon had been her home. RWBY and JNPR were her home now.

Now she had no idea if she would ever see them again.

As she looked out her window, Weiss felt a stab of deja vu: Salem had been in this situation before. Trapped by a cruel father, locked away from the world and unable to save herself despite the power she held. 

Until she met someone that had opened her heart up and saved her from that isolation. 

There were too many parallels between them now that Weiss couldn’t ignore, or the revelations that came with them.

If anything were to come to happen to them- Ruby, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Nora, Ren, even Oscar who she had barely known a few months- Weiss would move Remnant, Valhalla and Helheim themselves to help them, to protect them, to bring them back from the brink. Her heart ached at the mere thought of harm coming to any of them, but…

If anything happened to them, would she do what Salem did? Would she risk everything, even spiting the gods themselves, if it meant she could have them back? 

She knew the answer to that question, and it terrified her.

Dust, she mind was still reeling from Jinn’s story. Their race was the second coming of humanity, the existence of actual gods who wiped out their own creations, Salem and Ozpin’s history and just how far back it went… and how that fleeting dream of love had turned into a nightmare.

(That fight between them that leveled their castle and killed their children… it hit too close. It was too _familiar.)_

Weiss had wanted answers and still felt the frustration at being denied answers when they were fighting for their lives. She still felt the stunned horror and hopelessness at Salem’s immortality. She knew that so many had died over thousands of years for a war that the man who fought it had no idea how to end. She felt for Qrow and the others for feeling used, but…

Remembering  _the_   _look_  on Ozpin’s face, seeing the man- who had been as unflappable and in control as he could be-  _openly weeping_ … hurt her heart.

Klein and the other servants had always been ready to make her laugh, bring her tea, or hold her when she was feeling down. When she had told the others of the bloody feud between her family and the White Fang, Ruby had been the first one to try and comfort her. When they had questioned their reasons for becoming huntresses, Blake and Yang had been there to help make sense of things. 

Ozpin… had had none of that. 

How much had that hurt, having those scars ripped open with no understanding or empathy offered? How alone had he felt, with his past laid bare for all to see?

And what did it say about her that she felt more guilty about that than stealing an airship? It didn’t outweigh putting Argus and the Cotta-Arcs in danger because of their actions (What if things hadn’t gone as well as they had? What if they had been hurt- or killed?) but it was still enough.

But could she say that to the others? Ruby would listen, at least, and help defend her point. Blake could… Yang wouldn’t. She  used to believe Jaune, Nora and Ren would remain as angry as her, but since they had found Oscar but… and that wasn’t even factoring in Qrow or Miss Calavera-

“- absurd! She is my daughter, and I will discipline her as I see fit!”

“She is also an adult and must be charged for the crimes she has partaken in.”

“If one of my blood is seen as a felon-”

“You already disowned her- you made that very clear to me.”

“I-I-”

“Therefore, she is no longer your concern.”

Weiss recognized that voice. How could she not? A wild hope clutched at her chest despite her fear. She heard the heavy footsteps outside come to a halt before the door. 

“Miss Schnee, I suggest you stand back.”

She retreated to the farthest corner of her room and covered her ears. A second later, the door and the bars around it were blasted aside. From the smoke, she could make out two guards who stood to attention as General Ironwood walked in. 

Weiss controlled herself enough not to flinch as the man walked to her before gently taking the wrist that had the aura collar. With a single-placed  **snap!**  it fell away from her skin, leaving four bleeding prickpins behind.

“Miss Schnee, I’m placing you under arrest,” he stated gently. “Please come along quietly.”

As Weiss accepted it and strode past Jacques’ disbelieving sputtering and into the vehicle parked outside, she wondered what her life had become when being taken from a home of wealth and comfort via arrest had brought tears of relief to her eyes.

_The life of a huntress._


	4. Chapter 4

Blake winced at the sound of Qrow's retching coughs, trying not to breath through her nose. If there was one downside to having four ears and highly advanced sense of smell, this was it.

"Well, what did he expect? Aura or not, he's still going to go through withdrawal," Maria commented blandly from her cell. "And considering how much he's been pity-drinking over the past few days..."

Another groan echoed down from his cell, the sound of vomit hitting water following a second later. Yang winced in pity but just shook her head. "Well, at least that's the worst we're dealing with right now."

"Yang. We. Are. Literally. In. JAIL!" Nora enunciated while gesturing to the bars before burying her face in her hands, voice cracking from anxiety and upset while rapidly becoming colorless. "Now everyone we know's gonna cut off contact with us because we're criminals and nearly destroyed a city and we're gonna be stuck behind bars and forget the sweet taste of freedom and how to fight and even if we do get out we won't be able to adjust to normal society-”

Ren took her hand into his own through the bars, gripping it gently. "Breath," he murmured.

"... I was talking about his withdrawal symptoms," Yang finished lamely.

"She's not wrong though," Blake said with a worried frown, ears drooping against her hair. "By this time, everyone's going to know seven Valian students, a Valian teacher and a Mistralian stole Atlesian tech and illegally crossed into Atlas. Things are going to get more tense between all three nations now."

Gods above,  _what had they been thinking?!_  How did they come to the conclusion that this had been the best plan they had?! 

But she knew why: they had been tired of running, wanted to get the job done, believed that they could do what others who had been fighting longer couldn't. But whatever the reasons, they had chosen to do something that put so many people at risk and would have killed thousands if things hadn't turned out the way they did.

 _If we had a different plan, then_  he _wouldn't have-_

It hadn't been a hallucination, or her imagination. Just think that he had been stalking her and her friends across Anima, biding his time until she had been alone... 

But she hadn't been alone. And even when she was, she had been able to fight back. Even when she was afraid, she was able to hold him off. Even when Gambol Shroud shattered in her hands, she...

A dozen different emotions made her chest tighten at the memory- the feeling of Gambol Shroud in her hands and the weight of his body against it, the smell of blood and sweat, the look of stunned surprise and realization on his face, that single,  _"Oh..."_

Adam Taurus was dead. Blake's aim had been true and struck him through his heart, and Yang's went through his lungs. As he fell, she had heard the **crack!** of his spine before his body hit the river. Even if he had been alive when he hit the sub-zero cold water, he wouldn't have the strength or ability to swim to shore and drown.

But that brought her no joy, no relief. He had been so many things to her, been a part of her life for so long and even though he had brought her so much grief-

She stiffened and then relaxed at the feeling of Yang's fingers entwining with her own before gently squeezing them. "Whatever happens, we're gonna get through this," she said resolutely. "Together."

Despite her barely able to hold back tears, a trembling smile crossed Blake's lips. She had been so afraid of being rejected when she returned- Yang would have been well within her rights to do it. 

But she welcomed her back with a gentle, "Yeah". 

Even when things were awkward, she was assured that she didn't have to run herself ragged.

When she had said something wrong ("I'll protect you."  _"... what?"_ ), that hadn't destroyed what progress she made.

And after what they had done... 

* * *

_"I won't break my promise. I swear."_

_"I know you won't."_

* * *

_"We were there for each other."_

* * *

Things changed between them many times: from their conversation before the dance, the Fall of Beacon, reuniting at Haven, to their final confrontation with Adam. For so long, she was afraid of what those changes signified and if she was heading to the same place that what she felt for Adam would lead her.

But now... she could put those fears to rest. 

"Jaune?"

Blake's eyes flickered over to where Ruby was addressing him. Every few seconds, he would at the cell block door.

"Do you think Oscar's gonna be okay? Ozpin and Ironwood worked together, and... " He looked at his fists for a moment before staring back at her. "Why didn't you guys tell us the rest?"

Right- they had only gotten as far as Salem and Ozpin's history, the former being unkillable and the latter not having a plan outside of stalling before...

_We didn’t do anything back then to protect an innocent boy._

His fists clenched. "I'm still angry with him- that hasn't changed one bit. I can't agree with him sending people out to die for a plan that doesn't exist. But Ruby... what you guys  _did..."_

Blake felt Yang's fingers tighten against hers, her expression torn between anger and regret.

"I had no idea that's what Jinn would show us," Ruby said in a small voice, barely keeping it from cracking. "None of us did-  _except..."_

And there was the Goliath in the room.

Gods existed and they played with a man and woman's life before wiping out their own creations. The woman became immortal, corrupted by grimm and her own pride. The man was ripped from the afterlife with incomplete information and thrown into a millennia-old fight.

Not even Jinn knew where faunus came from, it seemed. 

There were so many theories about how the faunus came to be- from genetic tinkering to fornicating with literal animals- but no one had any idea where they had come from. Not even the faunus themselves knew.

The Brothers had antlers and horns but faunus didn't exist until humanity's second coming. Did they rise from the ashes of the first human race, or did they come from elsewhere?

A chilling thought entered her mind: did the racism between humans and faunus come about from suspicions and fear of both races, or did Salem kickstart it out of spite to the Brothers? Did she see the faunus and were reminded of the Brothers who had put her down that hell?

From what Jinn had showed them, Blake couldn't discount such a possibility. Dust, but this was terrifying: this wretch of a woman who was not only unkillable and literally drawn to death and destruction, but was patient and manipulative enough to twist people against one another and had enough devoted to her (or afraid enough) to cause such damage.

And she had used that to twist Ozpin (Ozma?) around her finger until it took her making it clear she wanted to wipe out humanity 2.0 and replace them with their bloodline via their daughters (the oldest who couldn't have been older than  _twelve_ ), regardless of what they wanted. The image of him trying to escape with his children before she appeared, that head shake and silent plea that went ignored before the castle went down around them...

It was far too easy to draw parallels between Ozpin (or Ozma?) and Salem, and herself and Adam. She had seen him as "spite", but that woman had upstaged him completely with her actions. 

And Ozpin...

* * *

_"If you need anything... please don't hesitate to ask."_

* * *

_"There are only two people in this world: those who hurt others, and those who stand by and do nothing."_

* * *

She had done nothing, as the man who accepted her into his school and allowed her to meet her team and partner have his life shown to all. She had done nothing, as the man who promised that she had a place there no matter her past, had been shown his worst mistakes were ripped from his mind. She did nothing, as the man who pleaded with her that she could speak to him if she wished, could do nothing but cry as he was condemned.

Yet... she couldn't ignore the facts either.

Ozpin had no way to end the stalemate between them.  _There was no plan._  And the fact remained that even if they fought to protect others from Salem, she could still wreak havoc so long as she was alive to inspire others to follow her way.

How could they possibly fight when the one spearheading didn't even know how to bring it to an end?

**Clang!**

Blake looked up as the cell door opened up. General Ironwood stood with several guards. Between them was Oscar and-

 _"Weiss!"_  Ruby exclaimed, tears of relief in her eyes.

Jaune and Ren were to their feet, Nora’s color was back and Yang’s face lit up with relief.

Weiss wasn't even trying to hold back her tears and from the redness of her eyes, Blake could see that she had done so earlier. But the fading bruise on her cheek and the red prickpins against the skin of her wrist drew her attention first and foremost.

Her teeth ground together, white hot anger that could only be associated with Jacques Schnee and others of his kind smoldering in her belly. So he didn't even bother to treat his own daughter with basic decency, it seemed-!

"Please tell me you at least punched the bastard," Yang said, half a plea half a growl as Weiss was led into the cell beside Maria.

Weiss gave a wet laugh as she wiped at her eyes. "N-Not yet," she got out, sniffling and smiling.

"We'll do you one better: we'll break his legs!" Nora declared passionately, cracking her knuckles.

This probably not the best thing to say in front of the guards, but Blake couldn't bring herself to care. If anyone deserved broken bones...

"I'll leave you to explain things here," General Ironwood said to Oscar, and left a moment later, the cellblock door shutting behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you okay?” Ren questioned.

“Why did they take you?” Yang fired.

“What’s going to happen to us?” Blake asked.

“They didn’t do anything to hurt you, did they?!” Nora exclaimed.

_“Guhhh…”_  Uncle Qrow moaned.

Weiss still remained silent, resting against her cot while Oscar held his hands up, trying to calm them down. Ruby wished she could reach her partner, do something that might give her comfort, especially after what had happened. (She promised not to leave her alone and the moment they arrived, it had been broken.)

But for now, she had to take charge.

“Oscar, can you please tell us what happened?” she raised her voice over the others, who fell silent after.

He explained what had happened between him, the General and Oz. The pit in Ruby’s stomach quickly became smaller the more she heard and she felt dizzy with relief. She couldn’t believe it- was this really happening?

“WE’RE NOT GOING TO JAIL!” Nora whooped as she bounced all over her cell, leaving dents in her wake. “THANK YOU, OSCAR AND OZ!”

Blake and Ren both sighed with relief, though the former’s smile was more relieved while the latter’s was exasperated by his partner’s screeches of joy. Jaune looked conflicted at the news but was leaning more towards optimism and Yang… just looked away with a pensive expression. 

Well, at least it wasn’t outright anger.

“Wouldn’t get too excited, not about Juvenile Placement.”

Ruby looked to where Uncle Qrow pulled himself back onto his feet- he still looked pretty nauseous. “What do you mean?”

“It’s name’s recent- and still work-shopping- but this has been part of the academies since they were founded,” the man explained, voice still slurring a bit with pain. “Basically, they recruit convicts and criminals with promising skills and power with the promise of ‘rehabilitating them into society.’” The quotation marks around those words couldn’t have been more cutting.

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Jaune remarked.

“It also comes with a bigger work load, none of the school privileges outside of what’s required to pass, and a pretty bad stigma: there’re plenty of students who get into the academies through their own hard work and perseverance, so they’ve usually got a lot of bitterness to the criminals who got to go there. Life’s never been easy for anyone in Juvenile Placement, and it’s a big reason why a lotta criminals would rather bunk down in prison or escape on their own. Not to mention the fact that our faces’re gonna be plastered all over the news, so everyone’s gonna know why you’re there.”

Ruby winced at his wording and her eyes closed. They knew the risks of breaking the law, and they were so incredibly fortunate they wouldn’t be rotting in prison for their actions. But this news…

“Well, it could be worse. We’re getting a second chance. We can’t waste it.”

“Wait, what about Qrow and Miss Calavera?” Blake questioned. “Did General Ironwood say what he was going to do with them?”

Oscar stopped for a moment frowning. “We only talked about our teams- none of us really brought them up…” His head ducked, sheepish. “Sorry.”

The look on her uncle’s face was devastating and he turned away. “ _Pff._  This isn’t the first time I’ve been jailed- and it probably won’t be the last considering the last few days,” Maria declared before shrugging, “Still, as far as prisons go, it’s not the worst.”

… Ruby was not going to comment on that. She didn’t trust herself. “It’s okay. We’ll think of something. Thank you so much, Oscar,” she said with a smile.

“Oz- Ozpin was the one who suggested it. I just said the words.”

“He didn’t take control of you?” Ren asked.

“No. He just asked me if I could tell the general and offered a way to make him believe I wasn’t just lying in front of him.”

“Why?”

Ruby turned to where Yang was staring Oscar intensely. “You heard what General Ironwood said: we’re not a part of this anymore. Why would Ozpin stick his neck out for us?”

This was what she was afraid of. “Yang-”

“Look, I’m gonna keep fighting. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to rest safely while that- that  _witch_  is alive, doing who knows what. But not on his terms.”

“Yang-”

_“He was grooming us to fight in a war he had no intention of telling us what it was for or why it started! A war he has no idea how to end!”_  Yang snapped, her fist slamming against the wall.  _“And not just us! JNPR, STRQ, CFVY, SSSN, FNKI and who knows how many others… for thousands of times longer than any of us have been alive!”_

Ruby was about to protest when she saw Blake flinching away from Yang, flickers of fear on her face. “Blake?”

Yang turned to her, anger melting into confusion and concern. “I’m sorry,” she said, voice hushed as she held her hands with the palms up. “I’m sorry.”

“I-It’s fine, it’s just-” Blake looked away, hands coming to clutch at opposite arms. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be-”

“No, no, I shouldn’t have-” Yang cut herself off with a tired sigh before looking back to her, worry and upset palpable. “I can’t lose you all because of  this war.”

Ruby’s turned away, unable to hold eye contact. This was the crux of the situation: what Oz had done… she couldn’t agree with it either. Those people deserved to know what they were getting into, what they were fighting and dying for. And he had put them in danger by not telling them about the relic: even if he had told them before the train in Haven, they could have made a plan to minimize the danger. Not to mention directly lying about the questions left on the relic, even after he promised to be more truthful with them…

Her words died in her throat as her thoughts kept circling back into each other. How could she turn this around?

“You’re right,” Oscar agreed. “Things need to change. Not just with him, but with us as well.”

Yang looked back at him. “You’re taking his side, even after what he did to you back in Haven? And after he left you to take the brunt of what happened!”

Oscar’s eyes closed. “I’m not defending his actions, or saying he’s completely in the right-”

“Then what are you saying?” Yang pressed- she was clearly forcing her anger down but only just. “That we should just do as he says, do everything his way without question?”

“I’m not saying that either.”

“And what about him? First he locked himself away in your head, and now he’s just coming back whenever he pleases? How do we know he wasn’t watching us this whole time? And the only reason we’re in the clear now is because of him.”

Ruby blinked, trying to piece together what her sister was insinuating.

“Are you trying to say that he only came out to help so we’d be in debt to him?” Oscar’s eyes narrowed, voice taking a sterner tone.

“I. Don’t. Know!  _And that’s the problem!”_  Yang’s arm emphasized her words as she gestured to the others. “We don’t even know WHY we had to bring the relic to Atlas, just that we had to! He’s the only one who knows why we’re here, and we can’t know why unless he shows up again! He’s basically holding that info hostage on us!”

“That’s not what he’s doing!”

“Well, it sure as hell looks like it!”

“Yang,” Ruby tried to interject, “let’s just calm down-”

_“Is that it then?! You’re just gonna twist my words so you can stay angry at him?!”_

Ruby stared at the boy- for the first time since she had met him, Oscar looked truly angry. 

Yang was especially taken back before she tried to protest, “That’s not what I was-”

“I’m not gonna tell you what to feel, or what to think. And neither has he. From the moment he’s met up with you, he gave you every chance, every choice, to walk away or do what you want. Now I see why: he wanted to give you the chances and choices he never got.”

Yang’s scowl deepened. “That’d be a lot more meaningful if the bastard didn’t lie to our faces or keep that information from us!”

“So that gives us the right to hurt him, threaten him, to violate his privacy when he respected ours?! Would he have done that to you if he wanted answers from  _you?! From the others?! From Ruby?!”_

Wait, why was he including her specifically?!

Yang looked ready to retort before it died in her throat. Ruby knew her sister knew the answer to that question. 

“Yang, I  _felt_  what he felt in that moment,” Oscar pressed on, hand clutching at his chest. “He wasn’t angry that his 'ruse’ was broken, he was traumatized by having his past played back to him for everyone to see!”

His expression became as anguished as her sister’s before, just barely holding back tears… but the anger was still the strongest. “And then, what you all did to him…  _why do you think he locked himself away after what happened?!”_

Yang recoiled, realization apparent. The regret and anger were both at war but at the moment… regret was winning. Blake and Ren were both silent, expressions pensive. Nora looked ready to burst into tears and Jaune only looked more conflicted. Ruby couldn’t see her uncle’s face, but from the way he had slumped against the wall, hands clutching at opposite arms… she really didn’t want to.

“Yang… I get it, okay?” Weiss said. “I wanted answers too. But the way we conducted ourselves, and what we did…”

Her fist clenched around the bars. “We didn’t behave like hunstmen or huntresses. We waved our weapons and stamped our feet when we didn’t get our way… and we hurt one of our own allies. There was  _nothing okay_ about our actions. Nothing right. Nothing moral. We crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed.”

“… so what are we supposed to do then?” Yang asked softly, looking back to her.

_I have no idea,_ she wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. Not now.

“We do what we’re going to Atlas Academy to do: think over things properly. Try to calm down and relax. We rushed into this trying to get too much done at once and that’s why we’re here now. And once we finally process everything… we can talk things out properly… and decide where we can go from there.”

Thankfully, this was generally accepted. Yang sat back down, Blake taking her hands into her own as best she could, Nora and Ren doing the same. Jaune looked between her and Oscar, pensive. Weiss curled on her cot and was asleep in seconds from the looks of it. Maria just shrugged at this all while Uncle Qrow just slid against the ground, curling into himself.

_Oh…_

She turned away, unable to look at him anymore. She knew how much her uncle idolized Oz and how devastated he had been in the aftermath (which still didn’t excuse him punching the man- not when he was already in great emotional stress and definitely not since it hurt Oscar as well)… and how that had contributed to the two of them butting heads. The irritation and frustration from him constantly drinking while ignoring the world (the fact that he cared more about the alcohol than the fact they were running for their lives and terrified… well, she finally understood the term “die a little inside”) were still fresh in her mind, but he had still stepped up at the end… even if it ended with them in jail.

_Okay, this train of thought is not going where I intended it to go._

She sighed and slumped on her cot- she had barely gotten any sleep last night and the conversation from before drained more out of her than she thought.

She looked at Oscar from across the hall and her chest tightened. She couldn’t imagine what he was going through- at least she and her team and friends had trained for some time and had chosen this lifestyle. 

Oscar… never got that. From the moment Oz’s soul came to him, Oscar had no choice and faced the inevitable loss of his own identity.

But… he didn’t give up. He traveled across Mistral, found them and devoted himself to helping them. He was scared, but still fought alongside them. Even after the train crash, Jinn, the Apathy, and Jaune… he was resolved to do what he could with whatever time he had left. 

They had all been so happy and relieved back then when he said that, but all Ruby could feel as she remembered that was a deep, twisting sadness. That boy was braver than she could fathom and it was so, so unfair that she would lose him to-

_Wait, where did_ that _come from?_

She shook her head- she needed rest. As she pulled the blanket over her, she noticed Oscar looking in her direction before giving her a smile. She returned it tiredly, the twisting in her chest lightening and warmth seeping in.


	6. Chapter 6

Yang blinked awake. Her body ached from where she had fallen asleep on he ground, fallen over sometime during the night. She pushed herself up and looked over at the window out of her reach.

They've only been locked up for a day and a half but it felt like years. Yang didn't know how'd she cope if they were stuck in here for the full sentence.

But they weren't. Hell, they were even going to another Academy- she knew CVFY transferred to Shade last she heard of them along with SSSN. She might have considered Haven at one point, but after what happened...

She looked out from her cell- while she couldn't see Ruby, Qrow, Maria or Weiss unless they were leaning against the bars, her cell was right beside Blake's and she could see Jaune, Nora, Ren and Oscar still asleep. This hadn't been her first time in jail either (Trashing a nightclub was still a crime, especially since she was the one who threw the first punch) though it had been a cell for minors. 

She should be relieved. None of them would be trapped here for much longer, if the school year was any indication. Ruby and Oscar wouldn't face prison. Blake and Weiss wouldn't be separated from them in a country where the former's race wasn't accepted and the latter whose family (sans Winter and her mother) were filled with assholes. They'd find a way to get Qrow and Maria out of here, by legal or-

The memory of the heist that nearly destroyed Argus made her thought freeze in it's tracks. That line of thinking had put the Cotta-Arcs in danger, not to mention her baby sister throwing herself into harm's way too many times a row for her liking.

She learned too many times that throwing herself into anything without thinking would bite her in the ass. Not just the failed heist but their actions with the Relic.

Yang knew the others were right. She knew Oscar wouldn't lie to their faces about what he learned. In her head, it all made sense; but in her heart... 

They were all giving their lives to this: not just Yang, but her baby sister, her friends, her family, Blake. They could never get back those peaceful, idyllic days before the Fall of Beacon. The adventures that she hoped she'd be able to go on would never be anything more than a dream. Even if they left now, Salem and her cronies undoubtedly knew who they were and they could track them, possibly even attacking their families and friends in retaliation. 

Like it or not, they were in this until they were  _dead._

So why did he lie to their faces? Why hide information that could have protected those people from them? They weren't enemies and they had made it clear they were ready to fight for him! So why?!

_What more could he possibly want from us?! Just what kind of lengths is he expecting us to go through just so we can have the info we need to fight?!_

They were all in this together! They deserved to know what they were giving their lives for! So why...?!

* * *

 _"Do you really think Leo was the first?! That he didn't say those exact same words to me?! I'm sorry, but you have to understand that my actions are backed by_ experience."

* * *

She never considered that his actions had been driven by something so...  _human_. Now looking back, she could see the signs acutely: post-traumatic stress disorder, paranoia being the most obvious signs (Dad hadn't pushed her to see a therapist after the Fall of Beacon, but he had brought books pertaining to the subject) that came up.

Considering what Jinn showed them, and the fact that the man had been close enough with the former headmaster that he addressed him as such even when he stabbed him in the back... and that wasn't even touching on the shit that Salem had put him through.

* * *

_"I'm sorry, but... that world just isn't as dear to me without her."_

* * *

And dammit if those words didn't make her think of her. Yang didn't know when, but Blake had quickly become someone she would move Remnant itself to be with her. Even the thought of dying for her sake didn't scare her- because she knew if it came down to it, she would.

He had gone back, and was willing to take up the fate of the world... just for another chance to be with her. 

The anger was still there. It sat bitter and dark in her stomach like a pit, no longer hot and smoldering like fire. Part of her wished it still was: she wanted to grab onto it, wanted to fuel her, wanted to feel what she felt before back at the destroyed train so she could-

* * *

_"So that's it then?! You're just going to twist my words so you can stay angry at him?!"_

* * *

His words had been like ice cold water on her, and remembering them now made the anger shrink in her stomach, shame and regret becoming stronger along with true clarity.

_She didn't want to be angry with anyone._

She didn't want this bullshit anymore than the others did. She didn't want to be wary of the people who were fighting alongside her, let alone the one who had been through that hell for  _literal fucking millennia._

When Oz had promised to be more open, she had been so relieved. Maybe things could go differently and what her mom had spoken of could be nipped in the bud right then and there. 

Even before all of this, he had been the one to give her baby sister a place in Beacon. He was there to help translate her dream to reality and help her work through things when they were difficult. His philosophy was what she adopted herself: to help others better themselves. Ruby was almost never wrong when it came to people- if she put her faith in him, so could Yang.

But how could she trust him when his words and actions clearly contradicted themselves? How could she trust him when he kept information that put innocent people at risk when they could have done something two weeks beforehand? How could she trust him when he admitted to not having a plan? How could she trust him when he had scouted out Summer Rose and brought her baby sister into his fold for his and Salem's war? How could she trust him when he might have been watching them during these last few days and their attempted heist, yet did nothing? How could she trust him when there was still so much they didn't know and he refused to come out?

Well, the last one was their fault. Yang was not going to deny or protest that. As much as she was angry at Oz for this bullshit... 

She was the most angry with herself. Because Oscar was completely right. 

She raised her weapons at her uncle. She let a man's past be shown for all to see. She screamed at said man when he was crying before her feet. Just remembering her actions before made shame and regret burn all the hotter in her stomach.

There were a million things she could say: she was still reeling from the earlier fight, Raven's words were making too much sense, he shouldn't have kept that info when they had two weeks to make a plan to shield the relic-

But it didn't change what they did, and what they did... crossed so many lines. 

And then, when he saved her baby sister, an innocent boy and the admittedly badass old woman who was tutoring said baby sister... 

She felt no joy that they had made it through, no relief that they were okay; just fear that he was watching them when she thought he wasn't, and anger that he had shown up at all.

The fact that she hadn't even focused on Ruby or Oscar being safe in her anger  _terrified_  Yang. What was  _wrong_  with her? When had she ever prioritized her anger over the ones she loved? 

But this anger wasn't what she was used to feeling- it wasn't hot, bright or consumed her senses. It was cold, bitter and sat deep within her like a dark clarity or logic. The fact it could pass for either only made things worse.

They  _needed_  to talk- things needed to change and they needed to change  _now_. If not... Yang didn't know what would happen to her.

But how the hell were they going to get him to come out of Oscar's head again? With the downtime (in Atlas Academy hopefully, Juvenile Placement notwithstanding), they'd at least not be constantly fighting for their lives. Maybe she could ask Oscar to talk with him, convince him to let them work things out? 

Yang was still pissed he left Oscar to deal with the fallout, but understanding why he did now... made her feel like an utter bitch. No amount of wanting the truth was worth what they did.

_If you were that devoted to the truth, you'd tell it yourself._

Her lips turned, jaw clenched tightly at the thought, disgusted and bitter in her mind. She knew she would have to tell them eventually. But every time she thought of telling them, every time she tried to open her mouth... 

* * *

_"I... I'm sorry..."_

* * *

... her words died on her tongue. She couldn't even sound them out in her mouth.

She knew what this would look like: she had made it clear she wanted answers and the truth from Oz, yet she hid this from the others. And she couldn't say that what they were hiding was different: Raven was a Maiden and one of the few magical users. As long as she was alive, Salem would have her eye on her.

And yet... she couldn't speak of it. And if she did...

_They'd hate you for this. They'd never trust you again if they knew what a coward and hypocrite you are. They'd turn on you just like you turned on him-_

**Clang!**


	7. Chapter 7

Oscar's head jolted up at the noise and the sound of heavy footsteps as guards filed in- they stood at every cell door save Qrow and Maria's. 

The guard opened his cell door and she then practically frog-marched him over to General Ironwood. Oscar noticed each of the guards were holding a black band and his concern grew when he saw four short of but sharp needles on the inside.

"What are they-?!" 

He was held back by the general's hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. "A safety precaution, nothing more."

 _ _Nothing about those things look safe!__  Oscar thought in disbelief, eyes flickering to Ruby- she just as confused and scared as he felt before locking eyes with him.

He was proven right as when the bands were secured on each of their arms, the sound of metal cutting into flesh making his skin shudder. Ruby let out a cry of surprise and pain before she fell to her knees. Jaune, Nora and Yang doubled over while Weiss, Ren and Blake shuddered.

"Don't- you're hurting them!" Oscar pleaded but General Ironwood wasn't listening, already turning around- he really hoped he wasn't imagining that glint in the man's eyes.

"I-it's okay," Ruby got out but even Oscar could see she was lying through her teeth- her chest and breath were both shuddering and her face was pale and beginning to sweat. "R-Really!"

"Jim-" Qrow began to protest.

General Ironwood merely sent him a cold look, disdain and disgust palpable. The words died in Qrow's throat and he shrank back, eyes shifting downwards. That was the last Oscar saw of him before the cell block door closed.

He wished he could walk with them, but the guard behind him was making sure he didn't stray from General Ironwood's side as they walked through the detention center's halls.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh broke Oscar from his thoughts and he turned around in time to see Blake sink to one knee and Yang try to punch the guard responsible but held back by the others.

"She was just walking! What is wrong with you?!"

"She was trying to get away."

"All she was doing was trying to walk closer with us! That was completely unnecessary!" Weiss interjected.

"General Ironwood, please help  her! She wasn't doing anything!" Ruby pleaded.

Thankfully, the man was already moving and helping Blake- sending a cold look at the guard responsible that made her wilt- to her feet while leading her over to Yang so she could support her. Weiss moved on Blake's other side while Jaune and Ruby took point and Nora and Ren flanked them. The end result had six of them forming a wall around Blake that blocked the guards away. 

Oscar felt sick. He really hoped that it was a case of over-watchfulness rather than willful malice towards Blake specifically, but from what little he had gleaned from her and the Menagerie Militia , it was doubtful that was the case. 

They were led outside to the black vehicle waiting and were filed in to the back. Oscar moved to join them before General Ironwood placed a hand on his shoulder, leading him to the front. He tried to move to see Ruby or Jaune but the guard by him was already blocking his view.

Every which way he looked, Oscar's breath kept catching- this place reminded him of Argus, but far sleeker and more opulent. Sun gleamed off of the surfaces, casting white light everywhere and stinging his eyes and everything looked clean and bright.

"How long will the ride take?”

"It shouldn't be longer than another twenty minutes. The airships are being called back and we are trying to lay low right now. Once we drop them off, we can find accommodations for you-"

Oscar's heart skipped a beat in fear. "I- I want to stay with them!" he exclaimed.

General Ironwood's expression hardened. "Out of the question. You're a minor and far too young to be attending."

"Ruby attended Beacon when she was fifteen!"

"Miss Rose is a prodigy and has been training for most of her life. You have not."

Oscar's heart was quickening, trepidation and anxiety growing stronger- what could he say to convince him otherwise? How could he make sure he wasn't separated from his friends?!

__May I speak to him?_ _

Oscar didn't hesitate as he thought back,  _ _Yes! Please don't let him-__

The same calm from before rolled off of him.  _ _It will be all right.__

He could feel himself slipping away, and he watched as his eyes shimmered gold- albeit a duller shade- before Oz settled into control.

"James."

His voice always sounded so strange whenever Oz spoke. So calm, measured and ancient in his own ears. But it did the trick.

General Ironwood stiffened and he turned to him fully, relief and surprise evident. "Oz-!" he said, lips already in a relieved smile.

"Oscar is as much at risk as the rest of them. It would be more prudent if he stayed with those he was comfortable with."

"Oz, you can teach him yourself- I know you can!”

"There's only so much I can impart."

"That is why you  _ _need__  to be protected."

"That's why he must train alongside those he cares for. Atlas Academy is the safest place he can be right now. Even if we are kept away from the fighting and from public eyes, it's not a guarantee for safety."

"We can bring in teachers and tutors then-"

"It would do more harm than good for Oscar to be separated from the others."

The general grimaced at his words before he gripped Oscar's shoulders. "I don't want you anywhere near them. Not after what they did to you."

The warmth had an exasperated edge to it and flickers of unease, but Oz remained calm. "You mustn't mistake youthful recklessness for genuine malice. They are not the only ones at fault for this."

"You're too forgiving-"

 _ _"James."__ His voice hardened. "I... was sloppy. And that contributed to them taking action. If you must distribute blame, at the very least do it fairly."

The man's brow creased and he sighed. "... there might be a way. Some students from Menoetius will be spending some time in the Academy.”

_Menoetius?_

“A primary school for combat, similar to Signal and Sanctum,” Ozpin murmured before turning his attention back to General Ironwood.

“It’s something myself and the headmistress are workshopping: an internship for students who want to transfer to Atlas, to experience what being a student there is like. Oscar can stay with them.”

Oscar felt his anxiety clench his chest. _Can’t I ju_ _s_ _t bunk with Ruby and the others?_

“No one knows Oscar was connected to the heist, and it has to stay that way. Having him in the same vicinity as those seven will only raise suspicion.” General Ironwood was stern now. “If he wants to see them so badly, he can interact with them during classes.”

“… very well.”

Oscar grimaced; he understood why they had to do this, but Ozpin not pressing the argument further despite his discomfort only made him feel worse.

“How long would these students be staying here, James?”

“A month. After that, we’ll see what can be done further.”

"Thank you, James."

Despite his trepidation, Oscar managed a small smile- aside from Qrow, he hadn't seen Oz talk with someone on equal footing as he was now. And from the flickers of warmth and ease (quietly over-taking the trepidation), it was really helping him. Gods knew (though the thought soured at the actions of said gods) he needed this after what happened. Now once they got to the academy, they could-

Oscar's thought stopped as he noticed the snow starting to fall around them. In the safety of the car, it was definitely a nicer sight than walking through a blizzard-

_Shoot, that's right!_

Their aura protected them from the cold when they were hiking down from the train crash (he still couldn't believe how at ease he had been until the blizzard hit) but they didn't have access to their aura here!

The memory from before was flickering before his eyes as he thought, _ _Oz, the others-__

"You put aura collars on them?  _ _In this weather?"__  Oz's voice was louder now with concern.

"They are all adults being tried in the legal system."

"James, at the very least they need some protection from this cold."

"We'll take the collars off when we get to the Academy."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Oz-  _ _really?!"__

"All of them have outfits that bare their heads, arms, legs and stomachs. This cold could kill them, aura or not."

General Ironwood rubbed at the space between his eyes. "There's a gear shop at the academy proper. I'll give them a budget, but  _ _that's it."__

"Thank you, James."

__And thank you, Oscar._ _

Oscar felt his control leave and before Oz vanished again, his hand settled on his chest.  _ _Of course,__ he thought back and felt warmth twinge again.

It felt longer and shorter than twenty minutes before the car halted. Oscar pulled himself out in time to see the others being filed out of the back, the guards already setting a brisk pace for them. He caught Ruby's eye and his chest tightened at how she was trying to hold herself together and keep the smile on her face as she gave him a thumbs up.

The gates before them opened up with a grating noise and Oscar's breath was stolen as he looked up at the building before them.

Haven was beautiful, giving an air of mystery and tranquility from what little he had seen of it. The few pictures of Beacon he saw made it look grand and bright like something out of a fairy tale (which considering Jinn's story, might not be that far off)

Atlas Academy might have been similar in some structure, but the aura it gave off was completely different. It exuded discipline, practicality and seriousness. It honestly didn't look that far off from the detention center's layout and that contributed to some of his trepidation. There was no hidden pretense for this place's purpose: to train and create soldiers.

Oz had said he'd be safe here... so why did it feel like he was heading straight into the lion's den?

The gates shut with a harsh  **clang!**  behind them and there was no going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 8/31/2019
> 
> Here, we see the ripples begin to form. Ironwood isn’t having Oscar bunk with terrorists, no matter what Oz wants. How would it reflect on his school if he allowed a child and minor near them? So he compromises and places Oscar with the Intern Students.


	8. Chapter 8

_I fucked up._

* * *

His big sis never emoted much, but even she was shocked at the sight.  
Beacon was massive, against a cliffside with waterfall. It looked like something out of a book or story. It didn't look like a place that trained huntsmen and huntresses. 

His fake transcript felt heavier in his pocket. Before the tribe, he had wanted to become like the hunters and huntresses in the stories. Sure his view might've been soured considering that the tribe was made up of drop-outs and rogues, but he couldn't help the excitement building-

_"GACK!"_

**Thud!**

He turned around to see a heap of white fabric on the floor, a clothed leg twitching beneath it before it leaped back onto it's knees-

Oh, it's a girl. A girl wearing a stupidly long pure white cloak, dark red hair tied back and- silver eyes...

"Um, hi- _ACK!"_

**Thud!**

... whose boot got caught in the cloak and was sent crashing onto her face this time, arms twitching. 

"That's incredibly impractical," Rae admonished, but he could hear some amusement in her tone. "Anyone could use that cloak to strangle you or stop you in your tracks."

"Oh, like you're one to talk," the girl shot back as she jumped right back on her feet. "Anyone could grab that's rat's nest you call hair!"

"Ladies, ladies," a tanned blond with lavender eyes wearing leather armor drawled casually before his sis could retort back, "you're both gorgeous and could kill a man with or without those things. There's no need to fight."

The silver-eyed girl's face turned the same shade as her hair while Rae's eyes narrowed into slits. Qrow had seen grown men reduced to hysteria under her gaze. The blond was either too stupid or had balls of platinum because he didn't so much as bat an eye.

"Yes. I could. Including  _you..."_

"Tai-Yang. Tai-Yang Xiao-Long."

"I don't  _care."_

Tai-Yang shrugged calmly and he could see Rae's eye twitch slightly before scoffing and turning back to the railing.

Qrow turned with her only to find the red-haired girl right in front of him. He jumped in surprise- when the hell did she get in front of him, especially when she tripped over her own cloak twice in a few seconds?!

"I'm Summer Rose!" she declared, offering him her hand. "What's your name?"

He was already offering his hand before he realized. "Qrow Branwen." 

* * *

_I fucked up._

* * *

"Wait,  _that's_  the headmaster?" Summer said in confusion.

"He doesn't look that much older than we are," Tai-Yang mused.

Rae kept silent, eyes locked on him.

He  _really_ didn't look that old, bird's-nest-like silver hair and weird glasses aside- early twenties at the very least. He wore a green turtleneck with a gray cross on the collar, a loose black jacket, slacks and boots. He could also make out a cane strapped to his side.

_"I'll... keep this brief."_

What was with his voice? It sounded young, but there was something... off about it. Hell, there was a lot about the man that was off. His age, the way he held himself, his weapon holster.

Just who was this guy?

"Strange..." Rae murmured once the speech was finished.

"There're plenty of quirky huntsmen out there," Tai-Yang shrugged. "I mean, look at us."

"There is no _'us,'"_  Rae ground out.

"Come on, guys! There's food!" Summer exclaimed and before he knew it, Qrow and Rae were being grabbed and pushed forward by the tiny red-head while Tai-Yang laughed as he followed behind. 

* * *

_I fucked up._

* * *

_WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK._

Okay, being thrown into a forest of death he was fine with. But having teams based on  _fucking eye-contact?!_  With no change-ups possible after?!

He glared daggers at that bastard, watching them all with a blank calm and small smile while sipping a mug of... something? It smelled bitter but not like coffee. He didn't usually hold grudges for long, but that little shit (never mind he was taller than him) definitely earned his ire.

Knowing his luck (which was all bad), he'd get stuck with some random stranger while Rae got another team and-

Aaand he was in the air now.

Yup. He definitely hated that little shit of a headmaster.

Regardless, Qrow fired off Harbinger to slow his descent before switching to scythe mode, swinging against a tree trunk before flipping onto the next branch.

_All right, not too bad a landi-_

**Crack!**

And there it is. Qrow was already twisting to roll on the ground only to fall right on top of another body.

"Fancy meeting you here. Drop by much?"

"That was fucking awful and you should feel ashamed," Qrow deadpanned as he took Tai-Yang's hand and hauled him onto his feet.

"I will do no such thing."

All right. Maybe this wouldn't turn out as bad as he worried.

* * *

_I fucked up._

* * *

"Where the hell did they come from?!" Tai yelled as the eight ursa closed in around them.

 _Well you see they probably showed up because I'm a LITERAL BAD LUCK CHARM!_  Qrow thought almost hysterically.

"Whatever, let's take 'em down!" Tai barked, grabbing at the two holsters on his legs before kicking himself off of a tree trunk for extra momentum.

Wait, _those_  were his weapons? Qrow was expected gauntlets.

Tai smashed the leading ursa back with his tonfas, easily twirling them back and knocking another away with one while the other morphed into a pistol. Not to be outdone, Qrow hacked off another's head with Harbinger's sword, kicking back another as it came closer. But they were quickly becoming overwhelmed-

"DUCK!"

Qrow obeyed without hesitation and the ursa's head exploded in black carnage.  
Summer shot into the fray, rifle transforming into a halberd, slashing off another ursa's head with ease. Qrow stared dumbfounded as she moved through the grimm, slashing them apart with a deadly grace- was this really the same girl who tripped over her own two feet?

 _Shit there's still one left!_  he realized, already running to Tai as an ursa attempted to jump him-

**Slit**

\- only for the ursa to fall forward, Rae on it's back and Omen through it's head.

"... I coulda taken 'em. But thanks anyways," Tai said, flashing Rae a grin.

She rolled her eyes but the amusement was stronger than the irritation.

Their celebration was cut off as howls erupted in the area.

"Beowolves. Of course," Rae growled.

"Come on! The clearing's just up ahead!" Summer exclaimed, eyes hard and bright. "I have an idea!"

* * *

_I fucked up._

* * *

_HOW ARE THEY STILL ALIVE?!_

Qrow panted for breath from where they finally pushed through the destroyed beowolf pack. Seriously, what the hell, Semblance?! 

Rae got through everything like she always did, Tai was actually pretty damn impressive and Summer... 

It was thanks to her plan- fucking insane as it was- that they even made it out in one piece. And now they stood before the little shit of a headmaster and the others who made it through initiation.

"Summer Rose. Tai-Yang Xiao-Long. Raven Branwen. Qrow Branwen. The four of you retrieved the White Pawn pieces. From henceforth, you will be Team STRQ, and your leader will be... Summer Rose."

Rae's eyes flickered in surprise and Summer's face turned red again. "Oh- oh, wow!" she stammered in surprise before exclaiming, "I won't let you guys down! Promise!"

"Hey, of course not!" Tai declared, ruffling her hair affectionately.

Qrow gave her a little smirk. "Keep doing what you did earlier, and we won't have a problem."

Summer blinked rapidly before giving him a toothy grin and thumbs-up.

* * *

_I fucked up._

* * *

Their dorms were near the corner of the halls. Summer and Tai were already snoring in bed while Rae was meditating in the corner.

Qrow ducked out and walked down the halls. The more he saw of the building, the more the excitement from before began to build. He was really here. He was actually training as a huntsman like the Grimm Reaper, like the huntsmen and huntresses he grew up admiring-

"Curfew was ten minutes ago."

_Of fucking course._

He turned back to see the little shit of a headmaster from behind. "What, are you gonna expel me?" he deadpanned.

His head cocked to the side. "It's simply a warning. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble before the first day."

So he wasn't in trouble now then? Interesting. Wonder what would constitute as getting expelled then.

"Say, tell me," he voiced, "what's a twenty-something-"

"I'll be twenty-four this year."

"What's a twenty-four year old doing being headmaster of this place?"

His lips quiped a bit. "Is that a problem?"

Qrow shrugged. "Should it be?"

"My age and methods are unorthodox (Qrow scoffed as loud as he dared), but I gained this position through my own merits, if that is what troubles you."

"I'm not 'troubled'."

The man nodded forward sagely and Qrow frowned slightly. Seriously, what was this guy? He kept giving off different vibes at once.

"Your weapon is quite impressive- there aren't that many hunters who use scythes," the man remarked. "The only one I've heard use scythes is... the Grimm Reaper."

"I based it off of hers," he said before he could stop himself- maybe he was a little shit, but he was comparing his weapon to the Grimm Reaper's, drawing a connection to it and even complimented it.

"You should turn in now- you'll need all the rest you can get for tomorrow."

"Yeah yeah..."

As Qrow turned to go, his eyes widened as he saw the headmaster's eyes flicker gold for just a moment.  _What the fuck...?_

* * *

Qrow tried to open his eyes but the sterile light above just made his head hurt more and spots dotted his sight. The lights of the dorm were brighter than he expected- or was that-?

"Welcome back to the world of the living."

His head shot up, making his ears ring and new pain to erupt before he could move it again. Maria sat across from him on another hospital bed. Her artificial eyes had been removed and Qrow could see the faint outline of a slash mark across her eyelids.

... oh. Right.

His head fell against his pillow as his memories flooded back- the kids were gone, now at Atlas Academy. And Oscar and Oz...

This wasn't his cell- sure his hands and legs were secured to the sides of the bed via but he wasn't that uncomfortable... expect for the pounding headache and empty stomach that still shuddered with nausea.

"How did I-?"

"When the guards came in with food, they found you in... a less than ideal state," Maria explained carefully. "I couldn't see anything, but you didn't sound good."

Qrow blinked, head still throbbing. He tried to remember and immediately regretted it as flickers of intense guilt, panic and self-loathing grew stronger.

"It looks like we'll be recovering together," the old woman remarked blithely before tapping her own restraint. "Though I could do without this."

One job. 

He had one, fucking job, and he couldn't even get that right. No, he just had to insert his head right into his ass and blot the world.

It nearly killed his nieces and the other kids. Twice.

The fact that his idol, the huntress whose weapon he based Harbinger on, was watching him back then and now... the shame clogged his throat and made his eyes burn.

Just another fuck-up at add to the cavalcade, he supposed.

"When I realized I was too afraid to return to the field and forsook my duties as a huntress, I blew every lien I saved on the strongest booze I could find.”

Gods, he wanted to do that. He wanted to drink until he forgot... but he couldn't. Not after the trouble it gave his nieces and the kids he was supposed to be protecting. Not when he didn't even notice the danger they had been in before they had to drag him away from the burning farm house.

What the hell had Oz been thinking? He knew he kept secrets and so did Qrow- but only when it was necessary and didn't want to start trouble until they could deal with it! But not telling them about the relic attracting grimm-! They could have made a plan, could've kept it away from people- why didn't he tell them in those past two weeks so they could make a plan? It was right next to the kids- right next to his nieces-!

And that wasn't even touching on Jinn and her story. Qrow knew Oz and Salem were enemies, but their full history ( _They actually fucked,_ and that fact was the most mind-boggling to him right now), the pieces of shit Brothers who started all of this, Salem's descent, Oz's progression (He wondered if the reason Oz never drunk anything alcohol was because it didn't do anything for him anymore) and...

* * *

_"How do I destroy Salem?"_

**"You can't."**

* * *

Raven had been right. She had been right all along. She said Salem was unbeatable and that they were just pawns being tossed out to die-

He said they had a chance. He said that they could protect them from her. He said that with their help, they could put an end to her plans-

How many- he couldn't fathom how many had died for this- 

* * *

_The sun rose over the cliffside. He called out to her, and she turned to face him while gently lifting her bangs away, white cloak fluttering against the wind._

* * *

_"I... don't have one."_

* * *

_She had died for nothing._

And when he said those four words... all Qrow had wanted to do was hurt him as much as he could. But when he did... all he wanted the man to get angry, to fight back, to defend himself... not cry and accept the abuse without protest...or to fucking agree with them.

* * *

_"... maybe you're right."_

* * *

_"So that's it?! You're just going to twist my words so you can stay angry with him?!"_

* * *

The anger was barely there anymore, but the depression, the betrayal, the guilt and shame were over-powering and left him huddled into himself. He was honestly amazed Oscar wanted anything to do with them- with him- after the past few days. 

He could feel Maria looking his way and even if she couldn't actually see, he could feel her gaze nonetheless. "Why...?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you... say anything before?"

Maria shrugged. "It was hardly my business- I followed four girls, a young boy and an old man because I sensed something interesting about the lot. I was nothing but a stranger to you all- I'm still a stranger. There's not much right for me to interfere outside of getting you all to not kill each other."

It hurt to laugh and sounded hysterical even in his own ears, but Qrow can't help it. 

"Even now, I'm still a stranger; we have certainly had a ball these past few days, but it's still only been a few days. I became involved with your group by chance, stayed for curiosity and now remain because I have met another who has eyes like I used to."

Her head tilted towards the ceiling, as though the eyes that no longer worked without assistance could see. "It was certainly shocking, learning the truth of our world and how it came to be. But the past is the past and there's nothing we can do to change it. Rather than directing blame and crying about what happened, we must focus on what we can do now and in the future."

The words were said casually but had a iron finality about them that made the depression and shame grow in his stomach.

How the hell were they going to fix this? Did he even  _want_  it to be fixed? Half of his screamed desperately that they did, that they had hurt the man who had given them so much and that they were missing something. But the other half... was adamant he deserved it for leading her to a meaningless death. For keeping all of this from  _him-_

* * *

_"Were you angry because he kept secrets... or because he kept them from you specifically?"_

_He couldn't speak, his face was swollen from the earlier punch._

_"This is war. He chose us to be the soldiers who could carry out what needed to be done. You lambaste him for keeping secrets when you've kept your own fair share. You say he's taken your choices when you chose this for yourself even when he gave you every out to take. And when he needed you the most...!"_

* * *

He hadn't become a huntsman for Oz alone. He hadn't accepted the mission to infiltrate Beacon just for his sister, but because he admired the huntsmen and huntresses- becoming one had been a dream come true. Being with his team had been the happiest he remembered being and he would move the world for them all. 

But so much had changed since then. Not just life but...

"We have time now. Nothing but time. I don't know who this Ozpin is to you all, but it's clear that you all have something to work out. So do what Ruby said: take this time... and think things over. Then we'll see what happens."

Qrow's head slumped against the pillow, exhausted.  _Think things over, huh...?_


	9. Chapter 9

Jaune didn't know what he was expecting. He had heard of Atlas Academy and how it was more militarized than most schools. Seeing it up close... well, it definitely screamed "Military". 

Everything was sterile, uniform and gray. There were no decorations, no engravings, no aesthetic. The hallways were long and large and eerily quiet, their footsteps echoing over the area. It honestly looked and felt more like a prison than a school, and considering they literally just got out of jail...

"It's so quiet," Oscar said softly, his voice already echoing. "Is it usually like this?" 

"It's the weekend now following winter break. Most of the students are out or visiting family," General Ironwood explained. "This way at least, you can integrate into the school without too much trouble."

"Remember winter break at Beacon?" Ruby remarked. 

"How could I forget?" Weiss rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Are we talking about the break, or the food fight at the end?" Nora quipped with a grin.

"'Food fight?'" Oscar repeated, confused. "Like, using the food as actual weapons?"

Jaune smiled quietly as the others began telling Oscar about their break. He was especially relieved at Blake smiling quietly as she helped recount it as they were shown the cafeteria and training areas. Their rooms were separate from the main dorms and there were three guards who would act as escorts if they wanted to go anywhere or needed anything- the doors had no knobs or handles, just electric locks that could only be opened from the outside. 

There were no windows and the walls were a dull shade of gray with the only furniture inside being- 

"Bunkbeds!" Ruby cheered brightly at the mattresses stacked on one another. "Dibs on the top!"

Weiss chuckled quietly and Jaune frowned at the redness still around her eyes, the bruising on her cheek fading but still present. His fists tightened, remembering that bastard's face. If he ever got the chance, he'd-!

No.  _ _No.__  Thinking like that,  _ _acting__  like that, was what got them into this mess.

"Wait, what do you mean 'our weapons will be in your care'?" Yang voiced, snapping Jaune from his thoughts.

"You can still use your weapons in lessons or training," the first guard- a dark-skinned woman with brown hair and eyes with a few moles- stated, "but other than that, we will hold onto them."

"But-"

"Do you  _ _seriously__  think that we're gonna let criminals anywhere near anything even resembling a weapon?" the second guard- a man with freckles, wavy red hair and orange eyes- questioned sardonically. "Even you can't be that dumb, even if you are a blonde-"

"Enough." General Ironwood sent the guards a stern look and they saluted quickly in apology.

Yang growled but reigned in her temper as Blake set a hand on her shoulder in comfort. But Jaune was worried too; what if they were attacked here? They'd have no way to defend themselves! And considering that Blake had been assaulted just for walking in a different direction, who's to say they wouldn't be man-handled for smaller reasons?

"There's one last area to head to," General Ironwood said as they headed down the stairs to a small shop where an older woman was there.

"Wait, is that...?" Nora said before her eyes sparkled as the first guard swiped a card down the lock and opened it up. "A gear shop!"

Jaune startled as the general handed him a single lien card as the lights inside came on. "This is your budget for new gear and clothes. It should cover all eight of you."

"We're not getting uniforms?" Ren questioned.

"None of you are true students, so the uniform doesn't apply to you."

"Thank you, General Ironwood," Ruby said gratefully.

"Ozpin was the one who insisted on it."

The general's eyes and voice became colder than ice as he motioned Oscar to follow him. "Be grateful he's still looking out for you all after what you did," before striding away.

“Oscar-!” Ruby began to protest but the guards stopped her from following him.

 _ _... oh, screw you,__  Jaune thought to the general, grimacing.

* * *

“ _This_ is where I’m staying?”

The dorm that Oscar would be staying in couldn’t be more different from the others’; it was far roomier and had four separate beds in each corner (one had a canopy with thick curtains around it), a few bookcases and a kitchen in the corner. The windows outside showcased the rest of Atlas Academy below them, the various buildings and even a giant course and circular track-

The door slammed open and Oscar whirled around in surprise.

“ _Eep!”_ A boy a few inches shorter than him with strawberry hair pulled back in a bun, wide orange eyes with dark circles underneath and pink and peach robes shrieked in surprise… before he completely vanished from sight, making it look like the bags he was holding were floating.

“Oh shoot- _Headmaster!”_ A taller dark-skinned person with black afro tied back with a red headband, olive-green eyes and leather armor turned the corner quickly snapped to attention, nearly dropping their own bags as they saluted.

The general’s expression softened for a moment. “At ease.”

A dark-skinned girl with long white hair in two partial pigtails held by lavender flowers, a lilac dress with shoulder-guards and white fabric draping from both was the only one who kept her composure. She looked at Oscar with curiosity as she set her things down carefully, electric blue eyes flickering with questions.

“Headmaster,” her voice was a lot lower than Oscar expected, “may I ask what is going on?”

“My apologies for barging in here.” General Ironwood laid a hand on his shoulder. “This is Oscar Pine; due to recent events, he will be attending the academy and staying here for the meantime. He will be taking part in the Student Internship. I trust you’ll help him adjust?”

The boy from before came back into view, eyes wide as he clutched onto the person’s arm from behind, staring at Oscar with a mix of confusion and fascination. The taller person arched an eyebrow while the white-haired girl nodded forward.

“Understood.” Her voice was careful, respectful but Oscar could tell she was suppressing something, white-gloved hands clenched into fists.

“I’ll be taking my leave now.” General Ironwood caught his eye. “If you need anything… please, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“R-right,” Oscar got out, wincing at how his voice cracked before the general left.

“Explain yourself.”

Oscar blinked at the change in tone, now hostile, as the white-haired girl looked at him with sharp eyes. “U-um-”

The girl crossed over to him, her face centimeters from his and the smell of lavender oil was sharp. Oscar startled in surprise, hands held up in protest and face burning at how close she was to him. “The Student Internship has only been properly established between Menoetius and Atlas Academies. Beacon has fallen. Haven and Sanctum has just been attacked. Shade is too far away. So how did you-”

The person was between them, pushing the girl back. “Reel it back, Ia,” they said, eyes serious.

“B-But...” the boy with robes began before the person cut him off, “Seriously; you’re freaking him out.”

Oscar looked at them with gratitude; he could barely get out a word without his heart hammering against his rib-cage, and he had no idea how he was supposed to answer their questions without lying to their faces and if this girl could already spot holes in his story he was already doomed- oh gods how was he supposed to coexist with them he needed the others, Ruby, Jaune, _anyone-_

 _Oscar, breath,_ Ozpin murmured gently. _I_ _f they ask any questions about it, I can provide you with answers._ _You will be okay._

Oscar frowned at this, relieved but hating that he had to lie; he wished he was with the others. But as he looked over the students, from the robed boy fidgeting, the tall person frowning and how rigidly the girl held herself, he realized that none of them were comfortable with the situation either.

“I’m really sorry about this,” he said, earning surprised looks from all three of them. “I didn’t want to intrude on any of you. If I could, I’d be anywhere else so not to disturb you. If there’s anything I can do to make this easier, then you can tell me. I’ll do my best not to make you uncomfortable.”

“… real polite guy, huh,” the tall person remarked with a nod. “Well, don’t go poking at our stuff, don’t eat any food that’s not yours, and don’t sneak any glances when we’re changing, and we’ll be golden.”

“Of course!” Oscar was relieved that they were already coming to something of an understanding.

“Oscar, right?” the tall person offered him their hand. “Rowan Radclyff.”

Oscar swallowed down the lump in his throat, shaking their hand tentatively. The robed boy looked at him cautiously before offering his hand as well, the appendage trembling. “Y-Yamato Nadeshiko,” he got out. “It’s okay i-if you’re nervous here- I’ve been having anxiety s-since we arrived...”

He gave a tiny exhale of laughter as he accepted Yamato’s hand. “Well, glad it’s not just me…”

The girl was silent as she watched all of this, hands clenching tightly at her arms from where they were crossed, expression severe. Finally, she exhaled harshly, eyes averted as she spoke, “Ianthe Regem.”

Oscar nodded as he set his things down. “Here; I’ve got to head out. I should be back soon. Sorry again.”

He turned and ran from the room as fast as he could, heart hammering in his chest.

_Oscar-_

_I know, we have to stay hidden from Salem_ (he could _feel_ him flinch) _and this is the best way to avoid suspicion from the others._ He frowned. _It doesn’t mean I have to like it._

* * *

"You've got an hour, tops," the third guard- a person with black hair and mismatched gray and hazel eyes- said. "After that, we're heading back to the rooms."

They settled outside while first two guards took their place near the door. The owner of the shop took her place by the cash register, watching the eight of them warily.

"Come on, guys! We've been wearing the same outfits for nearly a year!" Ruby tried to cheer them up. "Let's get creative!"

"As creative as this budget allows," Weiss reminded her, taking the lien card from Jaune as they walked inside, the guards thankfully staying outside.

Gear shops, Jaune learned, were basically clothing, equipment and fabric stores all rolled into one. There were clothes, shoes and other accessories, but there were also belts, some leather and/or basic armor, kits with sewing supplies and fabric rolls for more custom items. He had learned this after they finally arrived on the Anima continent when Ren, Nora and Ruby went to exchange new clothes, came out with rolls of fabric and their own sewing kits along with some standard clothing before adding their own touches.

Jaune was perfectly fine with his Pumpkin Pete hoodie, plate armor, jeans and boots, thank you very much.

“- you are!”

Jaune looked up as Oscar entered the shop, looking out of breath as the others moved to greet him. “Have you already settled in?” Ruby asked. “That was fast.”

“I… just wanted to check in on you guys. See how things were going.”

“You wanna get clothes too? Ironwood said we’ve got enough for us all!”

"Well, I already changed my outfit for Atlas," Oscar said, hand settling on his hip (almost identical to Ruby), "so you guys'll have a little extra."

"That reminds me, you never did tell us how you got those snazzy digs!" Nora remarked.

"When I went walking after... what happened, I ran into a couple who were being harassed by a thug. I managed to distract the guy and get him away from them. It turns out they run a boutique and they helped me make this outfit as thanks."

"That's amazing," Ruby said, admiration clear as she beamed.

"Aw, lookit our lil' hero!" Nora cooed as she hugged the boy. "Saving lives and getting cool clothes by moonlight!"

"I don't think there was a full moon that night..."

"I'm just glad you weren't hurt," Blake said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "When we couldn't find you, we were worried that something horrible happened to you."

Oscar just gave a small smile. "Well, nothing happened. So it's okay."

 _ _It's__ not  _ _okay.__  Nothing  _ _about what happened that night was okay.__

"I'm... gonna look over here, guys," Jaune said aloud, already making his way away from the others before finding a secluded corner in the back of the shop.

He took off his armor carefully and frowned at his hoodie in the mirror: it had been a special one even for Pumpkin Pete's, made from the same cloth hat huntsmen and huntresses used for their outfits so it would survive what would normally wear down or tear other clothing. It was still in one piece, but he could see some threads coming undone and even the bunny mascot was looking faded against the fabric.

Still, he could replace his jeans and boots- both were worn from the trek across Mistral. He found a pair of brown boots with a zipper and blue jeans easily enough while also grabbing a warm-looking dark gray turtleneck sweater. He also took a pair of black gloves with fur lining the inside for warmth and wrapped his armor with fur for additional warmth. 

 _ _This isn't gonna be enough to fight against the cold,__  he thought. _ _I need- there!__

 

A warm brown trenchcoat with deep pockets and latches was hanging near the back. Jaune pulled it on, letting his hood drape over the back. "All right, not too bad," he murmured to himself as he fixed the red sash back around, fingers stilling as he looked at the fabric.

It had only just been about about over a year, but the time before the Fall of Beacon felt like a dream. Before, his only concerns had been trying to become the strongest he could be while not burdening his team or friends, not fail his classes, and do what he wished he could've done when he was younger.

Now...

Jaune hadn't been naive enough to think that this would be like Beacon. They weren't transferring to a new school as students; they were being put in a program for rehabilitating criminals. But right now... all he could do was remember what had been... and who used to be beside them.

* * *

__"I'm sorry."_ _

* * *

__"I'm... so sorry."_ _

* * *

__"I'm sorry."_ _

* * *

Jaune didn't know what to think. Oh, he knew what he _ _felt__ : anger bordering on hatred and frustration at Ozpin for getting Phyrra involved, for not telling them about the relic or Salem being unkillable even when they promised to fight together.

But he was just as angry and frustrated with  _ _himself__. He attacked and hurt Oscar, an innocent boy who had fought against said man so they could get answers. And when he went missing, Jaune knew he was to blame. 

And when he saw Phyrra's statue... one of the more coherent thoughts he could muster was how  _ _disappointed__  she'd be with him if she was there. 

The ache from her death, the self-loathing and guilt for not being strong enough to help her, not being smart enough to see what had been in front of him all this time, became normal for him. He couldn't imagine a time where he didn't have that pain, that regret. She had done so much for him, even though he rebuked her and ignored her, and in the end... he had been unable to return the favor.

 _ _It should have been me,__ he used to think and had thought during that night.

Phyrra wouldn't have made his mistakes. Phyrra wouldn't have attacked an innocent boy. Phyrra would have come up with a better plan than stealing from Atlas and attracting Grimm to her family's home-

* * *

 _ _"Jaune, this has to__  stop."

* * *

The memory came unbidden and Jaune nearly choked, hand settling and clenching against the mirror.

* * *

__"We love you."_ _

__"We don't want to lose you too."_ _

* * *

He took a breath, letting it out as he straightened and looked up. Nora was marveling at a pink and black jacket while Ruby was looking over a dark gray jumper dress while grabbing a roll of red fabric. Ren meanwhile was looking over a green long coat with black collar thoughtfully.

__Ruby..._ _

* * *

__"Don't lie to me! I’m the one who asked Jinn! I’m the one who traumatized Oz! I’m the one who insisted on the plan! I’m the one who wouldn’t back down! I’m the one who wrecked the mecha! I’m the one who attracted the grimm!”_ _

_“_ _ _Here I was, thinking we could do things better-! But we only made everything worse! If I hadn’t- the Cotta-Arcs- Argus-__  Oz-!”

* * *

Ruby wouldn't have insisted on the plan if he hadn't brought it up in the first place. She wouldn't have had to stand up to Cordovin if they hadn't decided on his plan. She wouldn't have had to face down the Leviathan if...

* * *

 _“_ _ _We did something…__  horrible. _ _And we escalated a situation that put a lot of people at risk. So we have to make it right. We have to get better, be better… and then, we can make things right with everyone. We can make things right… with__  Oz.”

“… the others aren’t gonna like it."

 _“_ _ _Well they’re just gonna have to deal with it. We can’t let things stay like this__. I  _ _can’t let things stay like this.__  And I won’t.”

* * *

He hadn't meant to overhear them that night. Jaune had wanted nothing more than to forget for at least one night. But... well, they were kind of loud and he had been right beside Oscar's cell.

But Oscar was right. They needed to hash things out, or nothing would get better. And they had to get better. Be better. As much as he wanted to cling and clutch onto his anger and frustration, Jaune knew it wouldn't just accomplish nothing but it would make things worse.

His feeling to Ozpin hadn't changed, and the fact that he didn't give them information that put innocent people at risk was unacceptable. But what had happened to him... Jaune wouldn't wish that on anyone, and he knew that Salem was who put the events that led to Phyrra's death into motion and Cinder had been the one who took her life. And he couldn't exactly call the man out for keeping secrets and lying and shady dealings without acknowledging he had done similar to Saphron and he already had fraud under his belt before the heist.

And Oscar... he was one of them. No question about it. So Jaune would support him.

* * *

Ren looked over the long coat he found, sewing in the holders in for the sash. As he got up to look for boots, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror- quickly, his attention was drawn to his hair and how long it had gotten.

Carefully cutting out some of the leftover red fabric from Ruby's use, Ren pulled his hair back and looped the strand around neatly. He looked at his reflection, pleased with the ponytail.

"H-hey."

Nora gave a little wave- but Ren already knew something was wrong with the lack of energy and how she tried to force a smile on her face. He patted the seat next to him and she plopped down beside him, head resting against his shoulder and arm looping around his.

Nothing had really changed between them after they became closer, aside from Nora being more affectionate and trying to tone down her energy around him (which he was eternally grateful for). But looking back, this seemed all but inevitable: they had been together for so long and they knew each other like their own minds.

And now... he couldn't tell what was going on in her head. 

"Lie, I-"

Ren froze at the use of his first name. Nora averted her eyes, hand squeezing his own as her bangs fell over her eyes. "I don't know what to do. Everything's... so jumbled. I'm- I-" 

Ren reached out, brushing the hair away before she leaned her face against his palm. He knew how she felt: he still couldn't believe half of it.

They were the second instance of humanity, destroyed by true gods and who cursed a man and woman to battle over literal millennia. It sounded like something out of a fairy tale. Or a nightmare. Or both.

Just thinking it over made his head spin. How had he been able to fight for so long- literally thousands of years- without giving up? To defeat an unkillable enemy, all to stave off their judgment day?

Ren might have wanted to believe in other's good, but he was a realist first and foremost. If the relics were gathered here and now, the gods would wipe them all out in an instant. It wasn't just because of the Fall of Beacon or the fear prevalent in the people, but because there were too many who had their own lives, ideals and goals. 

Uniting all of humanity was impossible. Even if they united, the gods could only mean that they be united to worship them... and he already knew that wouldn't be taken well by many.

"It's not fair- she just wanted someone she wanted back. She shouldn't have been punished like that. But that doesn't make what she did okay," Nora continued, curling closer against him. "And Ozpin..."

Ren knew that all of this came about because of Salem. She had been the one to put Phyrra's murderer in Beacon, she had been the one to orchestrated the Fall of Beacon. 

But this didn't stop him from thinking: how could Ozpin have not seen this happening under his nose? How could he not have stopped this, if he knew her as he did?

__Because if the last few days have made anything abundantly clear, he is human._ _

"I'm still angry at him, but... I'm angry with the others too. Just- what they did-!" Nora cut herself off. "If someone did that to me, I'd- I'd probably rip their legs off, and make them eat 'em."

They needed answers, but this was the grossest breach of privacy Ren knew of. Ruby and the others couldn't have known what would have been given to them as an answer, but it didn't change that it happened. And now the only one who knew how to fight Salem had exiled him away into Oscar's mind.

"And poor Oscar! I can't imagine what he's going through!" Nora's head bowed. "I wish I did more for him before- he fought to help the others, and we didn't do anything to help him..."

That, Ren regretted. Jaune had been angry and upset, but it did nothing to excuse attacking Oscar as he did. And yet he had done nothing to stop him. What if Oscar had decided to run away? Or if he was captured by Salem's forces? All because no one did anything to help him. They weren't just allies, they were friends and they had done nothing for him when he must have been going through.

Nora slumped against him, eyes wet. "I just... wish we could all get along like we used to again. I want what we had before all of... this." She gestured lamely at the last word before sighing. "Things are... really bad, but we need each other more than ever now. Our friends, our teachers..."

Ren nodded- he missed the time they spent in Haven as well. The lessons with Ozpin, training alongside his friends... they had all thought they knew everything back then, and now...

"And the thing is... I don't think we know everything yet," Nora said, brow creased. "It's a gut feeling, but..."

"Then we probably don't," Ren acknowledged, thumb gently tracing her cheek. 

They didn't know why they needed to bring the relic to Atlas. They didn't know what was coming for them now that they had defeated Salem. They didn't know who they could trust. 

But they did know they could count on the eight of them. They knew they would fight to protect their world. They knew... they wouldn't stop until they won, or died.

"Thank you for listening," Nora murmured, taking his hand and placing a small kiss on his palm.

Ren froze at the gesture- his mother used to do this to his father before he went out of Koroyuri to hunt or kill grimm. Suddenly, he didn't feel as sure. His hands closed around hers, eyes closing as his mother's face flashed before his eyes, his father still firing arrow after arrow even though it was useless.

Was that how their lives were going to end?

Nora seemed to notice his apprehension and she looked at him with concern. He gave her a small smile, squashing the feeling. 

* * *

Yang looked over the bomber jacket on the rack. It looked warm enough and the coattails came with attachments as well. Along with the new boots and jeans, it looked like her outfit was just about complete. She wiped a bit of sweat from her brow before buttoning up one of the pant legs, letting her skin breath.

"Over here, Weiss!"

Ruby was gathering more red fabric and a sewing kit while Weiss was bringing over a heap of clothes in her arms. "I've never had to do this before- all of my outfits were tailored for me..." she admitted, sheepish.

"It's okay, Weiss. Here, I'll show you..." Ruby said, guiding Weiss' hands to the needle and thread while taking out a tape measure.

Yang smiled softly at the scene. Weiss was looking so much better ever since she came back to them. But as she turned to her partner, her smile faltered.

Blake was holding a coat and pants while looking at where there were hats lined up- one of her hands was clenched tightly around a pair of scissors. "Blake?" she said carefully as she approached her.

Her expression was carefully calm but her cat ears were flat against her skull as she turned over one of the bigger hats with a long visor over in her hands.

It had taken so much for Blake to show her true self and even after the docks and White Fang, she kept that cute bow. It had only been at Haven that she had seen Blake's ears out in the open. But after Adam, and their walk out of jail...

"I never wanted to come here. I've heard so many stories about the faunus who live here, who-" she cut herself off, hands coming up to grip at opposite arms.

Yang was already hugging her as gently as she could, hands settling around her waist and shoulder while giving her just enough room to pull away if she needed to. She didn't know what to say to comfort her, or if it would make things better. All she could do was just be there.

They hadn't been in Atlas for even three days but Yang was already ready to rip apart the damn place. Everything since they had gotten here had hurt her precious friend and partner and everywhere they had gone, they were trapped like rats and watched just as closely. 

How the hell were they even supposed to relax and reflect like this?

Part of her wanted Blake to put the hat back, but dismissing her feelings wasn't the answer. But what could she do to comfort and support her in this?

Her eyes fell on a cap with purple felt and a pair of black goggles not dissimilar to the ones used in the simulations for flying airships.  "Hey, look at this," she said aloud as she pulled it onto her head, fixing the goggles on as she showed her. "We match!"

Blake blinked in surprise before she gave a weak chuckle. Then, a determined light flickered back into her eyes. “Here, could you hold this?”

Yang accepted the outfit before Blake drew the scissors to her hair, the twin blades slicing through the locks with a sharp _snip!_. For a moment, Yang could only stare as those black lockes fell from Blake’s head until all that remained was…

“There.” Blake sighed as she ran her fingers through the bob, untangling the loose strands.

… yup, that was _definitely_ Yang’s brain short-circuiting.

“Well… I guess you could say… you’ve got a bob, cat?”

Blake blinked before she let out a _“Pfft!”_ and her laughter was stronger now, the warm smile she wore infectious.

As Yang helped her even out the strands Blake had missed, she grinned in triumph as the hat lay there, forgotten. (Of course Yang was going to keep the goggles.)

* * *

Ruby turned back from where she had been watching her sister and Blake. 

She had been so afraid before that she would never see her team again, but those fears had been dashed when they had reunited back at Haven. They had resurfaced with the awkwardness with Blake and Yang trying to reconcile, but it looked like it had finally been overcome.

Her team was whole again, and closer than ever. Some closer than others, but she had seen this building from the moment she had seen the two together. 

"Ruby?"

She looked up as Weiss stood with a blue shawl and cravat. "What do you think?"

Right, focus on Weiss... and her trying to make combat gear for the first time.

"If you're gonna wear the shawl, it should be short enough to still be able to wield Myrenaster."

Weiss frowned softly. "Weiss?"

"... I was so sure he was going to destroy it." Her hand settled against her cheek. "I didn't see General Ironwood retrieve it, but he had it in the car."

The bruise was fading thanks to the aura but the prick pins on her arm were still there. Ruby's hand came up to grip at her own arms, finger tracing over the area where the prick pins in her skin were still there. The feeling of that oppression over her aura, over her soul, made her feel sick.

And Weiss had it on her for the whole night in her own home.

"I'm so-"

"Ruby, there was nothing you could have done," Weiss said, gentle but resigned.  

 _ _"But I promised!"__  The words burst out from her mouth, helpless. "I promised we wouldn't leave your side and the moment we got to Atlas-!"

 

"We were coming in in a hijacked plane and my _father-"_ She spat the words. "- made it clear he would have rather punished me himself than leave me to law enforcement. With the police, with the hunstmen, General Ironwood and him there... there was nothing you could possibly have done."

It hurt hearing her say that. Not because it was true, but because her partner's emotional well-being mattered so much to her. She didn't want to see Weiss downplay what she went through!

"I wish I didn't go through what I did..." Weiss' hand gripped her opposite arm tightly before she sighed with a tired smile. "But I'm just happy to be with you all again. And frankly, that's what's most important."

Ruby swallowed the lump in her throat before Weiss set a gently hand on her head, ruffling the hair. "I'll be okay, Ruby."

She wanted to believe her. Ruby wanted to have faith in Weiss' words. But the image of her partner's fear and disappointment as Jacques Schnee pulled her away from them as they were carted off to jail was still etched firmly in her mind.

"Here."

Ruby blinked as Weiss handed her something: auburn arm guards with brown latches and a pair of black gloves. "This should protect your hands well enough."

They felt warm against her skin and a little strange, but with how cold it was outside, Ruby would need it. The arm guards fit snugly over the sleeves of her dress, latches secure. Now to-

__"Gah!"_ _

Ruby's neck jerked back and she gave a groan- her cloak had gotten caught under the wheels of the rack.

Right. She should probably do something about that.

"Why don't you do wrap it up like you did when we went out investigating?" Weiss suggested. "It'd keep you warmer and prevent any mishaps like that one."

Ruby adjusted her cloak a bit tighter, wrapping the fabric like a scarf so that the edges just touched her waist before fixing the silver rose back in place. All right- this didn't look too bad. Her hand came up to rest against her red fabric and the white collar of her shirt before her eyes flickered to Oscar.

 _ _He has more bandages than before now with his outfit,__  she thought, eyes flickering to his neck.  _ _I wonder what happened to make him use more...__

* * *

Jaune yawned from where he sat. He had finished first in getting his clothes and was waiting for the rest to finish while trying to avoid the store owner's wary scowl. Oscar had been waiting near the front, fidgeting a bit.

"Uh... you look warm," he remarked.

"I feel warm."

"You'll be okay in the cold with armor?"

"I've got my hoodie and fabric between the skin and metal, so yeah."

Well, this was painfully awkward.

"How are you doing, Oscar? Did you have trouble with the dorm?”

"Oh, uh... I'm fine. This is fine. What about you? You looked troubled earlier."

He noticed that, then. Jaune frowned before sighing. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay if you needed to be alone-"

"No, I mean about... that night."

Oscar froze and the smile didn't waver. "Jaune, I know that-"

Jaune was already hugging Oscar to him. He could feel the boy stiffen in surprise. "Jaune...?"

He was doing just what Ruby was doing: trying to put on a brave face and forcing down her true feelings for the good of the team. He shouldn't have had to do that, especially when they were supposed to be protecting him.

"Nothing about what I said to you, what I did to you... is okay," he got out, throat hoarse. "You can be angry, you can be upset with me. You don't have to force it down."

"I'm... I'm not forcing down anything..."

Oscar's breath hitched against his chest and his hands fell to his side, just hovering over his back.

He had to do right by him. He had to protect him. He was never given a choice in this, but he still kept his spirits up and was determined to fight. This boy was unbelievably, almost stupidly brave and...!

Jaune forced down the memory, fist clenched. He wouldn't fail Ocar again. He would protect him, come what may.

"Initiating a group hug without us?! How dare you!"

Jaune yelped as Nora jumped onto them, wrapping her arms tightly around and ruffling both his and Oscar's hair. Ren came up and draped his arms next, smiling serenely. 

"Guys..." Oscar trailed off, face red- Jaune's smile faltered at the boy trying to hold back tears.

Nora noticed this as well and placed both hands on his cheeks gently. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," she assured him, fingers wiping at the corners of his eyes. "We're all here for you, Oscar."

"We aren't going to let anything happen to you," Ren put in, setting his hand on his shoulder.

Oscar swallowed a bit, eyes closing before he forced a smile on his face. "What's with you guys all of a sudden?" he laughed weakly.

"Is everyone done then?"

Jaune looked up as Ruby and Weiss came over along with Yang and Blake, both holding hands. "Wow, you all look great!" Oscar said, smile more genuine.

Ruby beamed back. "You still look the most dashing."

__Wait what._ _

"Aw, you took the words right out of my mouth!" Nora laughed as she hugged Oscar closer.

Weiss quickly paid for the outfits and while the store owner was still wary, there was a faint twinkle in her eye and a smile quipping at her lips.

The guards settled over them and they were escorted back to the dorms. Oscar watched as they filed in, Ruby giving him a smile and wave as she said, “Goodnight.”

Oscar tried to smile, but it looked hollow before the red-haired guard escorted him away. Jaune frowned with concern.

_Oscar..._

* * *

“Oh you’re back!”

Yamato looked up from his books as Oscar entered the room. Rowan was eating some celery and the canopy around the bed was closed with Ianthe nowhere to be seen.

“Are you… all right?” Yamato cocked his head at him. “You seem...”

The smile felt wooden on his lips. “I’m okay. Thanks.” He prepared for bed, curling in the covers.

_Oscar?_

_I’ll be_ fine.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a beast of a chapter, with mutliple POVs and a lot more was supposed to go down and I had to work out what would happen now and what would come in later chapters. The creation of RWBY+ JNPR's new outfits is also the reason for the month long-gap between updates, along with other responsibilities.
> 
> Edited 8/31/2019
> 
> The Intern Students have shown up earlier and are not too pleased with Oscar just being dumped on them with so little warning. As Oscar is now further away from people he knows and cares for and put with strangers, he’s far more withdrawn and repressing his negative emotions.
> 
> As for Yang and Blake’s scene… yeah, no hats. I wasn’t happy with them, and I never included Blake getting a haircut even though my art of her showed with it. So there you go!
> 
> Also I’m a prophet for bomber-jacket Yang XD


	10. Chapter 10

Oscar blinked awake and began to stretch before curling around the warm blankets of his bed. For once, he wasn’t woken by Nora’s snoring, or Ruby’s mumbles in her sleep; he could hear slight snoring from Rowan’s bed, see Yamato curled up in his own blankets

The red light of the clock read  ** **5:54 AM.****

_Good morning._

Oscar smiled with relief.  _Hey, how are you?_

_As well as I can be. Today is your first day, is it not?_

_Yeah._

The past two days of winter break- the final two- had the others all either cooped up in their rooms, or being watched over by the three guards as they explored or trained. They were still without weapons during this time no matter how Oscar tried to talk to General Ironwood about it.

Meanwhile, Oscar had been trying to adjust to living with three strangers and they him. Rowan was the only one who was relaxed around him, but he could tell they were keeping an eye on him. Yamato was more skittish, but still making an effort to communicate and converse. Ianthe didn’t speak to him more than necessary and kept her distance from him.

That was fine with Oscar; he wished again he could be with the others, and spent as much time as he could with them during the two days, preparing for classes (The Intern Students didn’t ask where he went and didn’t press him for details, something he was supremely thankful for). Along with the supplies for school- folders, pencils, notebooks and the like- they had also gotten their schedules. Oscar took the paper from where it was tucked beneath his pillow, reviewing it one last time.

****0600: Rise** **

****0610-0640: Breakfast** **

****0645-0710: Exercises** **

****0715-0800: Survival** **

****0805-0850: Grimm Studies** **

****0855-0940: Technology** **

****0945-1030: Strategy and Philosophy** **

****1030-1115: History and Geopolitical Climate** **

****1115-1225:****   ** **Lunch****

****1230-1315: Dust** **

****1320-1405: Weapons Development** **

****1410-1520: Combat** **

****1520-1720: Free time/Clubs****  (This would be where the others would either be getting extra lessons or studying- he planned on joining them, since he hadn't gone to any combat schools before this one.)

****1720-1830: Dinner** **

****1830-2000: Retreat** **

****2000-2130: Call to Quarters** **

****2130-2150: Recall** **

****2155: Lights out** **

****2200: TAPS****  (Whatever that meant.) 

The schedule had been received well enough by the others but none of them were happy with how early they'd be getting up. Oscar didn't get it though: waking up at six AM was perfectly reasonable, especially if they would be exercising. If anything, he'd be able to sleep in a bit more now.

 _Well, none of them are farm hands._ Oz sounded amused.  _And Beacon's classes didn't start until eight to nine AM._

_What did they do between sleeping and classes then? Breakfast shouldn't take that long-_

**♫** **~!!!!!!**

Oscar jolted at the noise; Rowan, Yamato and Ianthe all yelled in surprise and Oscar winced at the crash as the girl tumbled out of the canopy, entangled in fluffy blankets. His hands clapped over his ears, but it did little to block out the trumpets before they stopped a few seconds later.

* * *

"I HATE THIS PLACE," Nora declared loudly, middle finger pointing towards the ceiling from where she had fallen on her back

"My whole head is ringing..." Jaune groaned in pain from underneath Nora.

Ren simply pulled himself out, a deeply resigned look on his face.

He got dressed and cleaned quickly enough and waited patiently while Nora and Ren finished. Ren had the next easiest time but was clearly still tired while Nora was barely holding it together.

When they got outside (and the ringing had thankfully rescinded somewhat), Ruby and the others were already waiting for them. "Good-" she began before yawning, "- morning."

Weiss looked the most well-rested out of them- and the most excited for some reason- all while Blake's fingers ran through her new bob. Yang kept close to them both, only sparing a few seconds to glower at the snickering red-haired guard.

* * *

"Wait,  _this_  is breakfast?" Oscar asked in surprise as they filed into the line to the food.

“Um, yes?” Yamato answered, Rowan arching an eyebrow at him while Ianthe’s gaze narrowed.

This food smelled and looked better than most of the meals he had in his life, and there was so much variety too! Oscar quickly loaded up his tray before he spotted the others coming down.

“Guys!” he called over to them, making his way over and ignoring the shocked looks from the Intern Students.

_Oscar, wait-_

“Oscar!” Ruby smiled as she went to greet him- he quickly noticed the others looked far more tired than he was.

"Did you guys really eat like this back at Beacon?!"

"Well yeah," Yang pointed out as Oscar loaded up his tray (vegetables were a must, along with some eggs and hashbrowns). "Do you have any idea how much energy aura and training consumes?"

"And the youngest students here are seventeen and still growing, so they all needed a lot of nutrition," Blake added.

"What did you guys do after going on the road? It must have been hard getting used to not eating like this."

"There are rations made specifically for huntsmen-" Ren began before Nora groaned, "But they're so BLAND and HARD to SWALLOW! Not to fun to eat AT ALL."

Most of the students looked more or less rested and the messhall was silent as they focused more on eating, with just a few conversations in low voices trickling in. All of them wore gray uniforms and had controlled expressions even now. He noticed Yang and Weiss looking around the students, as though looking for someone.

_Wonder who they're looking for?_

* * *

"All right, let's see if any of you've let your vacation make you soft!" the instructor- a muscled woman with buzz cut hair- barked before pointing over to the track. "I'll be generous: four laps and once you're done, head over to the course!"

There was general groaning from the other students, but it seemed more exasperated than genuine upset. Oscar could barely hear her, he was focusing on rubbing his arms as best he could- even with aura and clothes that had been designed to withstand the cold, it was still downright frigid! The dryness of the air was already chapping his lips and the slightest gust of wind sent fresh chills up his skin.

But even as he paced himself, Oscar was already ready to collapse by the time he finished his second lap.

"Are you- okay?" Ren murmured, kneeling down beside him to check.

"Yeah. You?"

Ren swallowed his breath down and managed a nod. After what seemed too long, Oscar finally finished his fourth lap- the last one to do so in the class. He struggled to breath but his legs and chest burned, barely able to move. He was awake and no longer sleepy, but he was dead tired now. He swallowed down, throat dry and heart still battering against his rib cage.

"You good?" Nora asked.

He nodded, giving a thumbs up. He didn't trust himself to speak without gasping for breath.  
The course itself was over fifty meters long with hurdles, rope swings, climbing walls, nets and what looked like combat robots placed in odd intervals... that shot small but non-lethal balls at the students or knocked them off-center or off the course at random.

Jaune had already gotten knocked off the rope swing and fell hard on his back- it was only thanks to the apparently ridiculous amounts of aura he had that he wasn't injured. Ren had given up on completing it on time and was trying conserve his energy even when he fell face-planted on the ground after pulling through the trench. Nora did the opposite and was trying to smash through the obstacles only to trip over a hurdle and hit a post head-first.

Ruby's speed helped her dodge most of the projectiles only for her stamina to fail her half-way. Weiss tried to finished with some grace, but the robot firing at her and interrupting her form derailed that. Yang had gotten so irritated with the robots that she forwent completing the course and punched one right in the face- before it whirled around and slapped her right back, earning some laughter from the students who had finished. Blake was the only one who finished without any mishaps but the eyes of the other students on her made her withdraw more into herself.

Training at Haven had been hard enough without combat experience. But this kind of movement was dragging Oscar through the wringer in a different way. By the time the exercises were done, he was already ready for the day to end.

"WHY. WOULD THEY. START. THE DAY. WITH THIS?!" Yang wheezed.

"I think... it's just trying... to get us... up for the... day," Jaune pointed out, trying to catch his breath.

Oscar could see that: he might not have been sleepy anymore, but he was definitely tired. He could see Yamato curled up on the ground, wheezing for breath while Rowan leaned against the rails for support. The three of them were having trouble with the exercises as well, but none of them had complained. Ianthe was looking his way, eyes sharp. Oscar averted his eyes from her severe gaze.

****DING~!** **

The sound of a bell cracked across the area, startling the boy but the others just sighed with relief. "All right, get to your classes!" the instructor barked, motioning them out.

"Okay, we've got survival next," Ruby reviewed. "Which floor is-"

"That way, then take a right," the guard with mismatched eyes said, pointing down the hall.

"Thank you."

* * *

They filed into a room with several desks and chairs, each row elevated with the front row being the lowest and the back the highest. Some students were already there with paper and pencils out. Oscar slid into his seat, Jaune on one side and Ruby on the other- Yamato looked genuinely disturbed at him while Rowan pulled him over to the desks, Ianthe’s eyes never leaving him. The teacher there- a man with brown hair tied back, large glasses and lab coat- took to the stage once the students were all assembled.

"One of the perils of hunting is the elements. In extreme heat or cold, your aura will not be enough to protect you, or get whittled down just as easily. Being able to find shelter and food while evading the grimm will mean the difference between life and death on the field."

"No kidding- even with aura, being outside was awful," Ruby grumbled, wrapping her cloak around her a bit tighter.

The trek from his home to Haven had been daunting when he set out, but Oscar had been close to civilization and hadn't had that much trouble getting there aside from the ATM. And after that walk through the snow and blizzard before arriving at the Brunswick Farms...

Well, Oscar was paying full attention the whole class and trying to get as many notes as he could down. He barely even noticed when the DING~! resounded and it startled him out of his writing.

* * *

"The most common types of grimm that the general populace knows of are Beowolves, Ursa, Boartusks and the occasional Nevermore, and they are what most people associate with the species," the teacher said, slamming their hand against the blackboard. "However, grimm work in many different ways, and there are those who are far more insidious in how they lure in victims!"

"... wow, they're actually making grimm studies interesting," Jaune said in amazement.

"Well, anyone can be more exciting than Professor Port," Yang murmured with a chuckle.

Again, Oscar was paying full attention: he had dealt with smaller grimm at home, but after the Apathy... he hadn't even seen them, had been busy repairing the wheel, but he still felt the effects. It had been like a fog over his head and it was only hearing the others call his name in fear and urgency that had snapped him out of it.

And reading Bartelby's entry... that could have happened to them. Wasting away with no motivation to do anything, not even eating or drinking, until they were like the farmers there.

* * *

"Our world is far different from the one our ancestors inhabited!" The teacher declared, slamming her hand down onto the table.

"She really doesn't know how right she is," Nora muttered.

 _No, she doesn't,_  Oscar acknowledged, writing quickly- he knew little of technology outside of the tools he and Auntie Do used at home, and he learned on the go with the others either from watching them or from reading about it.

"Our entire society and the way we interact with one another has been shaped by the technology we've created in the past eighty years..."

* * *

"All war is based on deception and perception," the teacher said. "When people think of war, they think of grand battles, of powerful men, women and people facing off. But there is so much more than battles; from what lead up to them to how they end."

Blake's expression was tight and Yang's was solemn as they listened.

 _What wars had he seen?_ Oscar wondered. Not just the war with Salem, but the wars before the Great War. He wasn't even sure what his age was- just that it had been for longer than a thousand years.

Just the thought of someone living for so long made his head spin.

* * *

Oscar yelped as a packet was thrown in his face. "Review this and explain how the Fall of Beacon and the events leading up to it were inevitable," the teacher deadpanned.

_Oh boy._

* * *

"Well, we can't exactly say that an immortal witch sent her subordinates to cause discord," Weiss said before adding, "I mean we could, but I doubt they'd accept such an answer."

Yang aggressively ate her food, spearing the meat and potatoes with single-minded aim while Jaune pushed his food around with his fork, eyes far away.

"Okay, _none of this makes sense!"_ Nora declared, glaring at her work packet like it had personally offended her.

"It makes perfect-" Weiss began while reading over hers before her eyes froze over the middle and she backtracked to read it. "It makes...some sense."

Ruby made a pitiful noise before her head began to **thunk!** against the table repeatedly. Blake didn't look up from where she was reviewing her notes but her free hand settled on Ruby's head ruffling her hair comfortingly.

"It's been over a year since we've had homework. It's going to take getting used to," Ren pointed out.

"UGH, less homeworking, more eating!" Nora groaned, gnawing on a celery stick. "I'll worry about homework when my stomach's full!"

Oscar didn't look up from his work; he knew he needed to eat, but the notes and books before him were pulling his attention away.

Lunch was much louder than earlier, now that the students were wide awake. However, this also meant many of the students were watching them now. Most were murmuring to themselves and eyeing Ruby and the others warily, some with disgust and others were openly sneering. But whenever their eyes settled on Oscar... the whispers redoubled, and their expressions became disbelieving, disturbed, concerned, even pitying.

"-scar. Oscar?"

He looked up at Jaune as he said his name. "How are you holding up? I know it's your first time in a huntsman academy, so..."

"Oh. I'm okay."

"Are you sure? It's not like normal school."

"What is normal school like?"

This earned him glances from everyone. "You've... never been to school before?" Weiss asked in surprise.

"Me and Auntie Do lived too far away and didn't have the income, so she taught me everything I know."

"... oh wow. Th-then this must really be a new experience!" Ruby laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's not a bad one."

Oscar meant it. He had always loved reading and learning and his Auntie Do made sure that he knew as much as possible in her lessons. Now here he was in an actual school... and he was honestly enjoying it. His head was spinning from the information he had and his hands ached from how much he was writing, but much of his trepidation from before was gone now that he was here.

He just wished he could be with the others more. It put him on edge being with these kids he didn’t know.

“Are those your dorm-mates?”

Oscar turned to Weiss as she said this before following her gaze. Just a table over were the three of them. Yamato was watching with a concerned expression while Ianthe’s gaze could have probably killed someone; Even Rowan watched with curiosity and a hint of protectiveness.

“Yeah.” Oscar turned back to his food. “General Ironwood said that he’s trying a program that brings students from the primary academy so they try out classes for a bit. He called it a Student Internship.”

“That would explain why they’re not wearing school uniforms,” Ren remarked.

“That girl’s emblem… it looks familiar,” Weiss said, eyes locked on Ianthe’s shoulder guards.

“What does it mean?” Ruby asked.

"They're-" the guard with mismatched eyes began before the red-haired guard groused, "Oi Keir, we're not here to answer questions."

"Let it go, Kalen. He's only a child," the female guard with moles sighed before becoming stern, "and you remember what General Ironwood said."

"Krishna-" he began before giving an irritated noise.

* * *

"DUST!" the teacher yelled, slamming his hands against the table. "WATER! FIRE! LIGHTNING! EARTH! AIR! GRAVITY! THE RAWEST FORMS OF CONCENTRATED ENERGY! UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS!"

"Well, this is familiar," Ruby remarked, casting Weiss a knowing look that made her blush.

Oscar would ask about it later and as he took notes, wondered if Oz's cane could use dust too. Miss Calavera used gravity dust in her youth and the idea of being able to stop his fall with something like that was appealing to him.

* * *

Ruby's hands fidgeted as the other students began to head over to the power tools, tweaking their weapons or repairing them. Oscar didn't want to tamper with the cane, not when he knew so little about it.

"Your weapon is like you: if neither are at peak condition, then they will break apart. But there's another similarity: both you and your weapon can evolve," the teacher spoke over the drone of the power tools. "Your first choice of weapon, your first prototype, is not the weapon you use now, and the weapon you use in the future may not be the one you have at present."

Ren's eyes tightened at her words while Blake's eyes flickered to a pamphlet header that showed liquid gold being dribbled over pottery. He had flipped through some manuals for weapons in order to better understand Oz's cane, but the idea of making his own weapon...

 _It'd definitely help give me more protection,_ Oscar thought as he picked up a pamphlet titled "So You Want To Make A Gun And Not Kill/Injure Yourself In The Process".  _ _Gods know I need it these days.__

* * *

"You will return them once the class is done." Krishna stated as she and Keir handed them back their weapons, each wrapped tightly in blue cloth as the other students began to file into the sparring room- there were eight areas raised like stages and unlike before, there were many more students here.

Yang grinned as she rearmed herself with Ember Celica, Weiss sighed with relief as she accepted Myrenaster and Ruby...

"Oh sweetie, It's okay now, I'm here now~" she cooed, hugging Crescent Rose to her like an infant.

"All right, come to mama!" Nora grinned as she hauled Magnhild over her shoulder Ren settling Storm Flower into his sleeves.

"... what, do all of them call their weapons their kids?" Kalen muttered under his breath to Keir, making the person shrug haplessly.

Blake was silent as she looked over the remains of Gambol Shroud and Oscar averted his eyes. He had only heard snippets of what had happened and of the man who attacked her, but from how he was described and how she and Yang had barely gone three feet away from one another... Oscar was relieved he didn't know more.

Oscar stole a look over at the Intern Students. Rowan had twin hammers that were simple in design but looked very heavy. Yamato had twin bracers with mechanisms on both arms, hidden by his long sleeves. Ianthe held an elegant sabre with guard and round buckler shield with triangular design. Oscar averted his eyes when she looked his way, grip on his cane tightening.

* * *

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be," Nora remarked, before cringing as she noticed some students whispering while looking they're way.

Ren placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. As the rest of the students filed out of their classrooms and gathering in the halls and courtyard, it seemed as though the entire student body was breathing a sigh of relief...

"FREE TIME!"

... before everything exploded.

The air was filled with the uniform shirts, vests, skirts and pants as the students ripped them off, revealing far more colorful and creative outfits. The entire area was filled with the sounds of clamoring voices and stomping feet as the students mingled about in new groups.

"Hey over here!"

"Club activities start over here! Any new contenders, go to that line!"

"Someone bring over that box!"

"It's your turn to get food this time!"

"Screw that, where're the lots?!"

"Oh no, we are NOT going through this again!"

Oscar stared in bewilderment at the new life and energy that had taken over the previously cold and controlled students. More than that, they looked far more relaxed and at ease as they settled down, as though they were ice that was being melted by the sun.

"Hey guys, is this norma-" Oscar began before he realized he was alone.

_“You!”_

Oscar cringed at Ianthe’s voice as she strode up to him, lavender in his face once more from how close she was. “What did those _hoodlums_ do to make you spend the day with them?!”

He gently lowered her accusatory finger. “Nothing…?”

_“Liar!”_

“Ia, seriously, calm down,” Rowan said but even they looked concerned.

“You DO know they attacked Argus, right?!” Yamato said, eyes wide with worry and confusion.

“No they didn’t.”

_“WHAT?!”_

Oscar winced at Ianthe’s yell before quickly reiterating, “They and the mecha the commanding officer used attracted the grimm, but they personally didn’t attack the city. Actually, the commanding officer did a lot more damage than they-”

“ _You are far too calm about this!”_ Ianthe cut him off. “What in Remnant are you thinking, trying to cozy up to _criminals?!”_

“Ianthe seriously, calm down- it’s not our business who he decides to hang out with.” Rowan looked at Oscar with concern as well. “She’s got a point, though- playing with fire’s gonna get you burned.”

“Well look at this; they actually let you enter!”

Oscar heard the sharp **click!** of heels against the floor and turned around to see four women behind them; a tall blonde in gold and white clothes and armor, a dark-skinned brunette with glasses and blue vest and a girl with pure white hair and dark-brown skin with black and light blue shawl and skirt. Immediately, all three students were on guard and Oscar was left between the two parties.

“Nepotism at it’s finest,” the blonde remarked, voice calm and eyes sneering. “Did your granny beg Ironwood to let her baby girl enter?”

“I worked day and night for the chance to come here, _Clementine,”_ Ianthe growled. “That’s more than I can say about you.”

“Says the heiress,” the brunette drawled. “Have you ever had anything you didn’t have handed to you on a silver platter?”

“That is rich coming from you,” Rowan remarked, arms crossed. “If you weren’t being backed by Pell and Alba here (Their eyes flickered between Clementine and the white-haired girl), you wouldn’t be so confident.”

Oscar’s eyes flickered back and forth between the parties and he began to inch backwards; this wasn’t something he wanted to get caught up in. He didn’t get far as his back hit someone and he flinched as hands gripped his shoulders. A tanned red-head in fighting robes looked down at him, green eyes flickering with delight.

“Aww, you’re so small and adorable! Clementine, Naomi, Yasmine, look!”

Clementine looked up and Oscar swallowed at the almost predatory look in her eyes. Immediately, he was surrounded by the four girls. “H-hey!” Yamato exclaimed with worry.

 _ _"Gah!"__  he yelped as he was immediately yanked up and into a hug between the gaggle, their fingers pinching his cheeks painfully and hands ruffling his hair harshly. "L-Let go of me!"

"Lookit you, you cute little guy~"

"Ohh, he looks so dashing, like a little prince~"

“I wanna take him home with me~”

“You’re so cute, I just wanna squeeze you ‘till you pop~”

Oscar struggled against them, but with little room to move and the fact that all four had height and muscle advantage over her, he could do little more than squirm.

“ _Leave him alone!”_

Clementine yelped as an iris-purple field smacked her in the face as she cupped Oscar’s cheek, Ianthe’s hand shimmering with the same light. The next moment, a large arm grabbed him and yanked him out of the others’ grasp before a long, thin gray tail wrapped around his waist and pulled him further away. The other three girls were knocked back by a sound wave that made Oscar’s teeth grit before Rowan steadied him.

"Knock it off."

The speaker (whose voice was more nasal than expected) was a tall and broad student with brown hair, gray armor and balancing a mace on his back. The student whose tail was wrapped around his waist was a pale guy with teal Mohawk and leather armor with bare arms.

"This does _not_ concern you," Clementine enunciated, face bruised and eyes furious.

"Give him ba-a-a-ack~" the red-head whined, reaching for Oscar- he shied away and Rowan’s eyes narrowed as they pulled him behind them.

"Hey hey, he's tellin' you to back off, Ran. Listen, why don't you," the mohawk guy deadpanned.

"We just wanted to make him feel welcome," Yasmine sighed, toying with a white lock of hair. " _The poor dear must be so frightened being here, especially with the scum who nearly brought Argus down.”_

“ He looked way more frightened with you four than them...” Yamato muttered with a frown.

"It doesn't give you Carte Blanche to harass him," the one who knocked them back- a student with dirty blond hair, squinting eyes and plate armor- said.

“’Harass?’ _We did no such thing.”_ Clementine’s voice was calm, but her eyes were cold as she looked at him, daring him to say otherwise.

“Yes. You did,” Oscar ground out, glaring at her with all his might- this actually made her pause for a moment, clearly unused to being opposed.

“Well, you heard him, ladies,” The last one, wearing what looked like chainmail and blue hair, remarked before turning to him and the others. "Shall we go?”

Oscar nodded his head vehemently. "Well, there you go. C'mon, kids, little prince," the Mohawk guy drawled as his tail pulled him along. Ianthe shot Clementine and the others a triumphant look before the three of them walked along with them.

“So, where do you need to be?” the blond asked.

Oscar swallowed, hands shaking from the ordeal. “I want...” he trailed off before he forced the rest of the words out- he didn’t care how it sounded. “I need Ruby and the others.”

The Intern Students were disbelieving, but the four students thankfully were understanding.

* * *

Ruby had gotten what she expected given what she knew of Atlas Academy beforehand, but this was not apart of it. Yet... it made sense, considering the two members of Team FNKI they knew.

"I wonder if Winter did stuff like this when she attended," Ruby wondered, making Weiss give an inarticulate squawk of horror.

"My sister would NEVER-"

"HEY!"

A blur of bright, eye-searing color shot across to them and tackled Yang, tail flopping back and forth as she nuzzled against her chest.

"Neon?!" Yang exclaimed in surprise and laughter as she hugged her back.

"Ohh, I missed you guys! If I knew you'd break the law just to cash in on another party with us, I would've come to you!" Neon laughed, slapping Yang on the lower back before her eyes flitted to her right arm. "Whoa, is that-?!"

"A prosthetic? Yeah," she said, pulling her sleeve to showcase the steel and Neon examined it with sparkling eyes.

"Long time no see, heiress," Flynt said with an easy-going smile. "That's a good look for you."

"Flynt," Weiss greeted him back with a small smile before it fell off, "... it's ex-heiress actually."

"Well, not that surprising, considering what you guys pulled off," Flynt shrugged.

"Hey," Kalen said in exasperation, "we've got a schedule-"

"Isn't that the same arm you used to break that one guy's leg?"

Ruby froze at the voice and scent of lavender and Yang's expression turned to stone before turning to the speaker: A boy who was was even shorter than she was with dark skin, white hair poking out of a purple beanie, green goggles, a loose indigo jacket and wearing gauntlets and greaves. Beside him was an incredibly tall and solid girl with a simple coat, shirt and pants, a bucket-like hat... and her face was covered in white paint with her lips, nose and the area around her eyes painted black, with what looked like a guitar strapped to her back.

"... what's it to you?" Yang finally voiced, tone deliberately neutral.

The boy shrugged. "Nothing; just thought it'd be funny if it was. Karma, if you will."

Ruby stared stunned before Blake gripped Yang's left hand reassuringly while Weiss stepped in front of Yang.  _ _"_ That was completely uncalled for."_

"Darn right it was!" Neon declared. "Kady!"

The tall girl karate-chopped the boy's head, nearly knocking him over. __"WHAT?!"__  he snapped in disbelief. "You saw what she did and after what these idiots pulled off-"

"That kind of talk is out of line," Flynt said sternly, making him lose some steam. "You're better than that, Iris."

_"... hmph."_

"Sorry about him," Neon said with a sweat-drop. "He's like that with... anyone that's not us."

"Right, should've done this sooner," Flynt said before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and a hand on the boy's head. "Guys, meet the other half of team FNKI: Kadium Cooper, and Iris Regem."

Kadium waved timidly while Iris rolled his eyes irritably.

Ruby nodded but her stomach was already writhing as she put a hand on her sister's shoulder. She knew it was inevitable, but now someone was bringing up the match that had set her sister up...

"Guys, where'd Oscar go?" Nora voiced, worried.

Ruby's insides went cold as she looked around but saw no sign of him. "Oh no..." Blake muttered.

"Why weren't you watching for him?!" Jaune exclaimed at the guards.

"I... have no answer for that," Keir said sheepishly.

"We'll find him," Krishna said patiently. "He can't have gotten-"

"Yo."

Ruby froze at the voice and turned to see Oscar and the Intern Students... with Team CRDL?!

"Never mind," Kalen began brightly. "There he-"

_"Get away from him!"_

Jaune grabbed Oscar's arm and pulled him behind him protectively, glaring at CRDL. Ruby was already by his side while Nora and Ren were by Oscar, Yang, Weiss and Blake already standing ready.

 _“What do you think you’re-?!”_ the girl with purple dress began to yell before the person with afro held her back while the robed boy ducked behind them.

"Whoa whoa, no fighting here!" Keir barked, stepping between the two groups.

"Jaune, it's okay!" Oscar exclaimed, trying to pull free. "They helped me find you guys!"

_Wait what?!_

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked sternly.

"Found your little prince here getting smothered by Team CNRY," Russel said. "You're welcome by th' way."

"I believe she might be asking what we're doing here in Atlas Academy," Sky remarked. "And I believe that answer is fairly obvious."

"I'm surprised you were even able to get in, considering your lack of work ethic... or anything resembling ethics," Weiss said coldly.

"Guys...?" Oscar said, worried as he looked between them.

"Whatever. Let's go," Cardin shrugged, eyes flickering to Jaune and Oscar, "and keep better track of your team.”

Jaune bristled as they left, fists and teeth clenched. Ruby's stomach twisted in sympathy- Jaune had the worst history with CRDL out of all of them, and after everything that happened…

"Jaune...?" Oscar looked afraid and Ruby's stomach clenched.

"Jaune," Ren spoke, placing a hand on his shoulder- he stiffened and looked away.

 _“What…?!”_ the boy in peach and pink robes whispered in a hushed, disbelieving voice, rapidly turning see-through.

Iris’ eyes flickered to the girl with purple dress and Ruby was struck by how similar with two looked, just from the dark skin, white hair and electric blue eyes. _They must be_ _family,_ she quickly deduced.

“Ia-” Iris began before the girl swiftly turned her heel and marched away, fists clenched.

“Uh… see you later…?” the person with afro said, eyes flickering between Oscar and them before following after the girl.

"All right, let's get a move on," Kalen declared, clapping his hands.

“R-Right...” Oscar looked at her with no small amount of relief as he took her hand.

"We'll see you at dinner!" Neon exclaimed after them.

* * *

"So, you all knew those guys from before," Oscar murmured as they filed into the library. "Did you go to Beacon together?"

"Yeah- those guys're Team CRDL," Ruby said, frowning softly.

"That whole team is filled with nothing but bullies and bigots," Weiss put in, voice cold.

"They picked on anyone who they thought was an easy target, including many of the faunus students attending there," Blake said in a low voice, hand gripping her opposite arm tightly.

Oscar frowned. "Really...? They helped me earlier, when Team CNRY wouldn't leave me alone...”

"That... is really weird," Nora said, frowning.

"They didn't tell you you had to pay them back or anything, did they?" Ren asked.

"N-No..."

"Did they hurt you? Any of them?" Jaune asked, gripping Oscar's shoulders.

"None of them hurt me.... he trailed off, face turning red and looked away.

"I'm really sorry- we shouldn't have lost sight of you," Ruby apologized.

"No, it's my fault," Oscar protested. "I-"

"You're our responsibility," Jaune cut him off, stern. "We're supposed to protect you."

Oscar blinked rapidly, like he didn't understand and Ruby's chest clenched painfully.  _Don't say things like that. Don't pile blame on yourself... oh right!_

"Here, come on," Ruby said, taking Oscar's hand in her own.

"Ruby...?"

"Where are you going?" Krishna asked.

"I know what it's like to be pushed forward a few years, so I'm helping him," she said quickly.

The guards seemed to accept this and the others didn't protest as they began settling down to study. Ruby sighed with relief and the two of them quickly navigated over to a table on the other side. She did pick up some books for them to read- along with more notebook paper and pencils- before settling down. Taking one of the bigger books ("The Rise and Fall of Mantle"), Ruby propped it open wide enough so they were simultaneously blocked from view and had a buffer for their whispering.

"Have you... heard anything from him?"

Oscar's eyes flickered with understanding and he nodded. "We were able to talk a little bit this morning. Just greeting each other and talking about the schedule and how you guys... didn't take to rising this early well."

Ruby gave him a little smile. "Yeah, classes started at nine there... you know the first day of classes, we got up early to get our things organized before we realized the room was too small for everything to fit."

"Even with bunkbeds?"

"Oh, there were four beds at first, but then we made them bunkbeds!"

"How?"

"Well for me and Weiss's, we used some sheets and rope for a canopy-thingy and Blake and Yang's just had books stacking them as supports."

"They actually held up like that?" he asked, barely holding back disbelieving laughter.

"Uh-huh," Ruby chuckled too before becoming serious again. "Have you been able to talk with him besides today?"

"Well, we did talk a little before General Ironwood came to talk to me."

"... is he... watching us through you?" she finally asked.

Yang had brought it up, but after what happened it was a legitimate concern she had. Ruby wanted to trust Oz, wanted to believe that he was trying his best but when his actions and words contradicted themselves like they had...

"I don't think so. I mean, it doesn't seem like it," Oscar said hesitantly. "When he came back... I felt something. Confusion, surprise before he calmed down just as fast."

Did this mean the Merge was coming closer? If Oz and Oscar could feel each other's feelings like this...

"I think Oz is in denial."

__Oh?_ _

"How do you mean?"

"He said that things could have gone worse, that he had basically invited what had happened because of his actions, and he... brushed off what happened. And I felt... that he was refusing to even let himself feel anything negative, or even think about what had happened more than necessary."

Ruby swallowed. "Do you think he already thought things over when he locked himself away?"

"No." His voice was soft but resolute. "Or at least, not how we're thinking things over."

This... was not good. There was truth in his words, but she and the others weren't free from blame either. And while they were processing what was happening and trying to come to terms with it... Oz wasn't even allowing himself that.

"Should we tell him what we're doing?" Ruby asked.

"We could... but I have a feeling it'd only make him fight back harder," Oscar said miserably.

Ruby's eyes closed. Jinn's story had shown him doing this before with Salem: refusing to acknowledge what might be happening because it was painful or because he wanted to have the life with her that had been stolen away before.

And after what had happened... she didn't blame him for not showing himself, whether he didn't want to start another fight with the others or if he couldn't bear to show himself to anyone.

"So... any ideas on how we bring this up to the others?" Oscar asked.

Ruby thought this over: Weiss and Blake were still her first choices to bring this up. She had no idea how she would talk to Yang about this, but after her talk with Oscar she was feeling a little more hopeful.

Jaune, Nora and Ren would be more difficult. Phyrra was her friend, but she was apart of JNPR. Her death left behind a gap that couldn't be filled. And after breaking the news to them, and Jaune... she knew he was trying so hard to make up for that night, but she was still worried he might react poorly to what they were doing.

"... Weiss and Blake might be a good place to start," Ruby said carefully.

"I can try asking Ren or Nora..." Oscar trailed off as his head turned and he winced as his cheek brushed against the book.

That was when Ruby noticed the bruising on his cheek. He had been adamant CRDL hadn't hurt him, and Russel had mentioned him getting "smothered" by...

"Oscar, did Team CNRY hurt you?" 

His eyes averted, face growing red. "They... they were treating me like I was this... like I was just something to... play around with!" His fists trembled. "And I couldn't even fight back...!"

Ruby took his hands in her own, gripping them comfortingly as anger and indignation for his behalf burned in her stomach. 

"Oscar... you know you can talk to us, right?" she hugged him to her gently. "If things get too difficult, or if you're worried..."

Oscar gave a little laugh as he blinked back tears. "I'm not made of glass, Ruby. I know you guys worry about me, but I'll be okay."

"Just... please promise me that you'll say something.”

Oscar's hands settled on hers, grip gentle. "I promise," he said softly, gripping it.

Ruby's eyes closed and she sighed. "Okay," she murmured before setting the book down. "Let's get studying. I wasn't kidding about that."

* * *

"How can you eat so many of those things?" Nora asked, her own tray filled with as many sweets and drumsticks as she could manage while Oscar was loading up his tray with as many vegetables as he could, brussel sprouts taking up the majority. "Not that I'm complaining; you gotta eat right so your growth spurt'll be huge!"

"You could learn a thing or two from him," Ren remarked. "You can't survive on sugar and meat forever."

"I can if it's your cooking!"

"And what if I'm not there to cook?"

"So, you gonna introduce us to your little buddy here?" Flynt asked, as they settled down at the tables for dinner.

"Ah, he's so cute!" Neon cooed with delight while Kadium gave him a grin that... frankly, it looked like it belonged on a Beowulf. "Where'd you get this sweet little guy from?"

Oscar fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort before he muttered, "Oscar Pine."

"So what, is he another intern student then?" Iris asked, cocking an eyebrow at Oscar.

“Y-yeah. I kind of got here last-minute...”

“So, why’re you hanging out with this lot?” Iris asked, eyes flickering to Yang. “Can’t be good for your brain being around criminals and thugs.”

"She was put into an illusion by his teammate, to make her think he was attacking her," Blake spoke immediately, taking Yang's hand in her own.

"He wasn't hurt either," Ruby put in, fists clenched as she remembered the chase (and trying desperately not to remember what came after). "He sabotaged the fight after his and attacked me when I found him!"

"You heard the news from when Haven was attacked, didn't you?" Weiss asked. "Then you should know about how those students allegedly from Haven weren't who they said they were."

"Y- You... were there...?" Kadium whispered, voice tiny and hoarse. "At... H-Haven?"

"Yeah, we were," Ruby said, serious. "They're the ones who attacked Beacon and Haven both."

"I knew there was something fishy about them, ever since their fight with CVFY!" Neon said, huffing indignantly. "I thought something was up from that fight you had! Like, you're super easy to rile up, but the way you attacked him was totally different from how you fought with us!"

"I doubt you'd put your faith in anyone who'd go off without good reason," Flynt added, giving Weiss a look.

Weiss nodded back as Yang's face lit up at their words and Blake sent her a gentle smile. Ruby swallowed the lump in her throat- all day long, everyone had been silently judging them and offering no support. But now at least, they had some friends here; they had someone who was willing to believe in them.

"So one second you're fighting off sabotagers, and then the next you're stealing a plane from the Atlesian Military and putting a whole city at risk," Iris snorted, hands on his hips. “What’re you guys, Hoods?”

"Iris-"

"You want me to buy what you're trying to sell? Then explain why you decided to pull a stunt like that," he pressed. "What was so important that you stole tech from the soldiers protecting a city and then scared the people enough to attract a godsdamned Leviathan AND a Manticore flock?"

Everyone fell silent, unable to meet his gaze and Ruby's chest welled with frustration. How could they even begin to explain this? They were getting an item made by  _ _actual gods__  that could answer any question and attract grimm in order to protect it from an immortal witch?

 _ _We can't even defend ourselves without telling all these secrets,__  Ruby realized with a rush of upset and realization.

"Wait, you're seriously not gonna tell us?" Neon asked with a laugh that trailed off at their expressions.

"... we really can't. I'm sorry," Ruby said, head bowing.

Iris sneered openly, "Of course you can't. Can't even own up to-  _ _GACK!"__

Kadium placed Iris in a headlock, nearly pulling him off the floor completely as he flailed in her grip.

"Thanks Kady," Flynt said, and she nodded her head forward solemnly.

"Well... I still believe in you," Neon said, serious. "You're not bad people."

Ruby thought of the city that had come so close to being overrun by grimm, of the Cotta-Arcs who were nearly caught in the crossfire, of Oz and of Oscar.

_Are we sure about that?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Albion-93 and the lovely LittleMissSquiggles for the ideas I used in this chapter, and PestertheJester for the inspiration of the other half of Team FNKI! Here's a link to their bios: http://miki-13.tumblr.com/post/183371734858/rwby-reconciliation-the-other-half-of-team-fnki
> 
> And you can find these lovely people on tumblr!
> 
> CNRY is Canary, as in Canary Yellow. Originally it was either gonna be AMBR (amber) or LEMN/LMON (lemon)
> 
> Also, it's pretty much canon at this point that Atlesians are Cold Hams (See the TV Trope Cold Ham). Weiss (Especially Volumes 1-3) and Winter (Her fight with Qrow, and the Weiss Anthology comic) especially. And with Neon and Flynt showcasing Atlesian Students, well... it basically wrote itself. 
> 
> The guards are: Keir Ace (Nonbinary guard with mismatches gray and hazel eyes), Krishna Deuce (female guard with brown hair and skin with a few moles) and Kalen Trey (Red-haired guard with orange eyes). They are based on the Card Guards who painted the white roses red in Alice in Wonderand.
> 
> This chapter. Did not. Want to be written. Not because of writer's block, but because I had so many ideas and subplots that would serve as tools for each party (RWBY, JNPR and Oscar) to mature.
> 
> Here's a question: do you guys want me to just focus on the group and Oz reconciling and leave the story with a more open end, or do you want me to bring in actual plot? I'd like to hear what you guys think.
> 
> Edited 8/31/2019
> 
> Now that Oscar is shown to be bunking with the Intern Students and being passed off as one, it’s incredibly alarming for everyone to see a 14-year old child more than happy to spend time with recent criminals who had committed what could be described in certain context as terrorist crimes.
> 
> I also put in a bit more meat with Team CRNY to flesh them out- I even put in their names this time! Thanks to them being with Oscar, it also clued Ruby in to Ia and Iris being family due to how similar they looked standing side to side.
> 
> Here's the link to my masterpost with art for the characters-https://miki-13.tumblr.com/post/186876081883/reconciliation-masterpost


	11. Chapter 11

"So, how's it feel to be a commoner like the rest of us now?" Flynt asked good-naturedly.

Weiss rolled her eyes at his comment but her lips were twitching despite herself. Ruby smiled with some relief as she ate her breakfast. Since they had met Team FNKI the first day, they had quickly joined RWBY and JNPR for meals. Flynt and Neon were always fun to talk with, and Kadium might not have talked a lot (and she was a little intimidated by her) but she was still nice enough. Iris... well, he kept his mouth shut most of the time and didn’t try to make comments like he did with Yang’s arm… not out loud anyway.

Oscar’s roommates had taken to sitting on a table near them and Ruby could feel the glare of the white-haired girl- Ianthe- on their backs. Oscar ignored them all and kept his focus on them, and this gave Ruby several mixed feelings: she knew Oscar was more comfortable with them, but she didn’t want to see him neglecting building camaraderie with his dorm-mates, even if they weren’t going to be here forever.

“I’m not sure, I haven’t been disowned for very long,” Weiss admitted, cutting apart her toast.

“Eesh, that guy’s already awful,” Neon said, repulsed. “I can’t imagine having him for a dad,”

Weiss averted her eyes.

“Well, we’re glad to have you here,” Flynt said with a smirk.

Iris looked ready to say something but stopped before shoveling his eggs into his mouth.

“That’s right! We’re not gonna let that jerk come anywhere near you!” Nora declared, hugging Weiss loosely. “Right Jaune?”

Jaune didn’t reply, eyes locked ahead on where Team CRDL was sitting, hands clenched around the table hard enough to make the fingers tremble. Ruby frowned; ever since they learned they were attending Atlas, Jaune had been keeping an eye on them whenever he could. Ruby had been wary too, but so far they hadn’t done any of their usual bully-antics… not any they could see at least.

“Ooh boy, looks like the Hoods came back again,” Neon remarked, looking at her scroll.

“’Hoods’?” Blake repeated.

“Thieves who exclusively target Atlas high society,” Iris explained, stabbing down at his pancakes. “Robbing from the rich to _supposedly_ give to the poor."

Ruby’s eyebrows arched. “Whoa, really?”

“I said _‘supposedly’._ No one’s THAT generous.”

Blake looked contemplative at that but also wary. Ruby could understand; the White Fang started out with good intentions, but then turned into genuine terrorists. “Have they hurt anyone?”

“Y’mean besides high society’s egos?” Flynt chuckled.

“Uh, actually...” Neon’s subdued voice cut him off, eyes wide as she looked over her scroll. “This time they tried to sneak into Schnee’s mansion, and tried to attack his family-”

**Clatter**

Weiss’ knife dropped on the tray, hands clutching her side and eyes squeezed shut. Ruby was already holding her shoulder and arm gently as she looked over her. “Weiss, what’s wrong? Are you…?”

Her eyes fluttered open, expression smoothing out as her hands pulled away from her side.

The side Cinder had impaled back at Haven.

“Weiss-”

“I’m fine,” she ground out. “It’s okay.”

“Well, if you’re sure….” Neon trailed off, Kadium cocking her head to the side with concern while Iris frowned.

“Was anyone hurt at all?” Blake asked again.

“No. They got the woman who attacked them, and the family’s okay...” Neon trailed off.

Iris sighed, eyes tired. “Called it...”

* * *

“We’ll be using Course 2 today once we finish the laps,” the instructor barked. “Get to it!”

“ _Yes ma’am!”_

It was longer than the first day’s course: this time with trenches, miniature rivers and rock-climbing cliffs.

If there was one thing out of the many things Ruby missed about Beacon, it was this training took place in simulated areas rather than the forests that surrounded the school. She could roam for hours at a time, exploring and fighting alike, getting lost in the smells and sights.

While the exercises were okay enough, they were too rigid, always going through the same motions just to get through them. They were doing well enough on them, but the monotony of it was getting her down.

Oscar panted for breath on his knees, trying to get as much air in his lungs as he could. Ruby gave him a sympathetic look before offering him her hand, pulling him back onto his feet.

Him struggling with this wasn’t a surprise; when she entered Beacon, she had issues with stamina and strength too. She was two years behind everyone else and hadn’t developed physically enough to keep up in some areas. Now, he was supposed to keep up with people three to five years older than him. Honestly, Ruby was really worried he might hurt himself trying to keep up with them.

“Are you good?” she asked.

Oscar swallowed down a breath and gave a thumbs up before freezing. Ruby followed his gaze and her heart stopped at Weiss faltering on the climbing wall, hands grabbing at her side before falling-

Russel was right underneath her, tail coiling ( _Wait what_ ) around her waist before he halted her fall. Weiss’ legs gave out and she slumped to her knees. Ruby raced to her side, kneeling beside her as her partner gave a deep gasp of shock, trying to gulp down as much air as she could.

“That projectile didn’t even hit her.”

“Probably a trick to get out of doing the course.”

“Yeah...”

“Come on, Weiss,” Ruby murmured, helping her back onto her feet and away from the mutters and scathing looks.

Weiss’ eyes remained downcast, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. Ruby looked back at Russel, but he was already turning back to the course without another word or even looking back at them. She could see Jaune staring at him in silent disbelief.

“What’s going on here?” the instructor asked as Ruby settled her partner on the side.

“She got injured a few weeks ago, and she...”

The instructor’s stern look didn’t falter, but her eyes flickered before closing. “Take five, then stick to laps,” she said.

“Thank you...”

* * *

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jaune asked again as they headed to the next class.

“For the third time, yes,” Weiss sighed, hand settling on her side. “I just…”

She shook her head, staring ahead with a frown.

“Okay, is nobody going to bring up Russel Thrush being a faunus?! We all saw the tail, we all saw him catch Weiss!” Nora declared. “I’m _very_ confused right now!”

“He was fine with bullying other faunus with the rest of CRDL,” Ren said.

“Ilia did something similar when she went to school in Atlas,” Blake stated. “She pretended to be human, went along with their insults and discrimination so she wouldn’t be a target.”

Ruby’s eyes closed, stomach dropping. “So then,” Yang began, “did CRDL know he was a faunus back then-”

“ _Can we stop talking about them,”_ Jaune ground out, eyes hard.

“Jaune?” Oscar voiced.

Jaune stiffened at his concern and deflated. “I’m fine. Let’s just get going.”

* * *

Nora fought to keep her eyes open during the lecture. If there was one thing she didn’t miss about school, it was lessons like these. No movement other than her hands and maybe her head, stuck in place listening to a teacher’s droning.

And the fact that they had to not explain that the Fall of Beacon was because of an immortal witch trying to make the world burn out of sheer spite did not help Nora’s feelings for this class in particular.

But the absolute worst part were the whispers and scathing looks Every sneer, every snide comment made her insides twist, her mind bogged down… and aside from the jerkass gods, Salem and Cordovin freaking out, they had no one to blame for this but themselves.

How could she pay attention now after all that?

The others looked lost in their own thoughts too. The only one was was really paying attention was Oscar and Nora’s chest swelled with affection for the boy. He was soaking up lessons like a sponge and was brimming with enthusiasm for learning as much as he could. After the last few days and the battle of Haven, Nora was relieved that their cute little buddy was getting some enjoyment out of this.

_He should be a normal kid, farming and spending time with his family… not fighting for his life, or being afraid he’s gonna become someone else._

"- where the idea for the Military and Huntsman Academies to function as a single unit came about?"

 _Wait what?_ Nora blinked back to the present as Ianthe raised her hand.

"The Unified Front began as a proposal made by my grandparent, Lavender Regem." Though her tone was calm, Nora could hear the undercurrent of pride. "They saw the benefit of having a strong army with a single will and purpose as opposed to two or more different factions and the danger of having their purposes contradict or get in the way of the other."

 _Well, that was an obvious name drop,_ Nora thought as some of the students rolled their eyes and a particularly bitter look from Iris.

"And how was this brought to reality?"

"They brought knowledge of these benefits to the people-"

"While that is true, the proposal would be set aside until twenty years after their death. Is there anyone who can say how the Unified Front formed proper?"

Oscar's hand shot up as he looked up from his notes and the textbook. "The Head of the Army, Headmistress of Mantle Academy, Head Scientist and Au-to-cra-cy put in a plan to eventually merge all four together over a period of eight years."

"Very good. If you could turn your books over to the next section, you will read in-depth..."

Nora gave Oscar a grin that made him blush before returning to his notes, Jaune and Ren looking at him with clear pride. Though he didn't notice it, Nora saw Ianthe looking at Oscar, torn between incredulity and anger before Rowan tapped her head.

* * *

Weapons class without weapons wasn’t the worst thing in the world, Ren decided. They could read over weapons manuals, and make models. It made sense, considering they were seen as criminals, as to not give them a chance to possibly attack others.

It didn’t make it any less frustrating for them. Still, they made do.

Ruby and Oscar were both pouring over the magazines- specifically the “So You Want To Make A Gun And Not Kill/Injure Yourself In The Process” series- while Weiss, Jaune and Nora were trying to pass the time reading or studying for other classes. Yang was near the back reading a book she had gotten from the library but kept the book cover hidden with one of her folders.

Ren would have joined them in this, but he found his mind wandering despite trying his best to concentrate on either reading or studying.

Ren knew he would never be the strongest fighter. His skills lay in speed and stealth, and his semblance in masking others’ presence from the grimm. There would be things that others could do that he couldn’t while there would be things that he could do that others couldn’t. It never bothered him before.

It was only after the battle at Haven and learning of the full scale of the war they entered that he became more aware of how he lagged behind the others combat-wise. Ever since the Fall of Beacon, he felt like he was starting to fall behind the others. It was irrational and Ren knew it, but he couldn’t help it. All he could remember in battle were the times he was knocked aside or forced to watch as others fought for him.

He couldn’t afford to be the weak link, not now. Not when they just found out what was at stake. Not when they had people like Salem and her cronies after them. But how could he get stronger? It wasn’t enough to train, he needed something that could make sure he could protect the ones he loved and not get tossed aside or worn down until all he could do was watch the others fight or die.

“Ren?”

_Huh?_

Blake was beside him. “I need the book underneath your arm.”

“Of course.”

He pulled the book out (“The Art Of Weapon Repairing”) before Blake accepted it and headed to the back near the smithy. Ren watched as she selected two molds for weapons and inspiration flickered in him. 

Maybe he could upgrade Stormflower- it had been a while since he looked over it in-depth that didn’t involve repair and cleaning.

_If it’ll give me an edge in battle, it’s worth it._

* * *

"As you can see, we have eleven new... students, here with us," the instructor said, looking over the sheet- Oscar didn't miss the conflict in his voice. "So for the spars, we'll be going in pairs for the duration: one pair for each arena with a time limit of ten minutes so everyone can get a chance. The first fighter whose aura reaches the red or is knocked out of bounds loses. Anyone who finishes up their sparring or is waiting for their turn may use the back for individual training."

Oscar moved over to where Jaune was waiting by one of the mats. “Okay, let’s get started then.”

“Right.”

Jaune pulled out Crocea Mors and Oscar readied the cane (He wondered if Oz ever gave it a name). He swung and Oscar was already moving out of the way, around and striking. Jaune caught the blow on his shield, parrying it away.

Jaune wasn’t the strongest (That honor went to either Nora or Yang) or the fastest (That was without a doubt Ruby, with Blake and Ren a close second). But he more than made up for it by being smart, and for his plans and battle tactics. Oscar knew that he needed more than brute force to be able to fight, and he was the best person right now to help him in that regard.

“Good, keep on your feet,” Jaune encouraged him as they circled each other. “I know you’re gonna get bigger someday, but until then...”

“Yeah yeah,” Oscar said with an eyeroll. “I know I’m small.”

“For now!”

Jaune swung at him and Oscar quickly parried the blade aside and managed to strike him in the chest. Taken back by the surprise of actually hitting him, Oscar wasn’t able to react in time to Jaune rushing him-

* * *

_He looked so mad and even though he knew it wasn’t because of him he-_

_Wait wait, someone help-_

* * *

“ _Get back!”_

Just as Oscar swung down as hard as he could, the cane hitting Jaune’s head with a **crack!** , Ianthe was suddenly between them. Her hand crackling with iris-purple energy as her shield formed, knocking Jaune onto his back.

“Are you all ri-” Ianthe began but Oscar was already rushing to Jaune’s side.

“Jaune! I’m so sorry, are you-?!”

“Whoa, that had a lot more power than I thought!” he laughed in surprise, even as a lump the size of a goose’s egg was already visible. “Great job!”

Oscar blinked rapidly, eyes flickering from Jaune’s bruise to his cane. “You’re… not mad?”

“Why would I-?”

“ _Are you serious_ _right now_ _?!”_ Ianthe exclaimed in disbelief, startling them both.

“We were just sparring!” Oscar protested. “He wasn’t trying to hurt me!”

“ _Then why did you look so afraid?!”_

Oscar stared in shock at her words. How could she have noticed? It had only been for a moment. It didn’t matter anymore, though; they had made up and they were both trying to be better for one another.

“Dove Bronzewing. Rowan Radclyff.”

Jaune’s expression froze and he was turning over to look at the stage as Dove and Rowan went up. Their fight was pretty interesting: Dove used a shortsword that had a gun barrel down the blade and Rowan had heavy-looking twin hammers that could combine into a machine gun. Dove was fast despite his plate armor and he was pulling off some impressive acrobatics. Rowan meanwhile moved more slowly thanks to their weapons, but they could take the hits Dove dished out and the hammers/machine gun packed a great deal of power.

But eventually, Dove’s speedy attacks began to take their toll on Rowan and despite their defending, Dove knocked their aura into the red with a well-placed slash down their chest. Rowan fell to one knee, panting for breath before Dove offered them his hand.

“Good match. I can see why you were chosen to come here.”

Rowan didn’t reply, still trying to catch their breath, but grinned as they accepted the hand. “What…?!” Jaune whispered in disbelief and Oscar’s worry for him returned.

“Jaune?”

“Sky Lark. Yamato Nadeshiko.”

Sky Lark sauntered onto the stage, Yamato following behind at a more subdued pace. He was shaking like a leaf and his face was pale and slick with sweat. “Are you going to come out of your own head, or not?” Sky Lark asked, twirling the halberd expertly.

Yamato’s face turned red and that seemed to snap him out of his nervousness for the moment as his hands retracted from their sleeves, slipping into a fighting stance. Sky Lark swung down with great strength but Yamato was already spinning out of the way. A few experimental swipes from his halberd kept Yamato dodging out of the way with the grace of a dancer.

“You’re not going to win by just dodging!” Sky Lark split the halberd into two tomahawks and thew one straight at Yamato.

Yamato dodged the blow but Sky Lark was already coming down on him. The next moment, Yamato’s left arm extended and a wire shot out from his sleeve and pulled him out of the way. As he skidded to a halt, Oscar could make out braces on Yamato’s arms with two mechanisms.

 _Okay, that looks_ really  _useful._

As Sky Lark threw the other tomahawk, Yamato was already extending the wire as he shot around and the wire wrapped around Sky Lark’s legs and sent him sprawling out of bounds.

“I… just did,” Yamato said before he blinked in shock. “Oh my gosh I actually won.”

Sky Lark let out a disbelieving laugh. “Okay wow, not my finest moment,” he wheezed as Yamato went down the stairs and he offered the boy his hand. “Not bad, Nadeshiko.”

Yamato’s whole face turned red but his smile was stretching his whole face as he shook it. Jaune’s fists were trembling from how tightly he was clenching. Oscar didn’t know whether or not to go near him, not with that look on his face.

"Oscar Pine. Ianthe Regem."

Oscar froze as their names were called. This seemed to snap Jaune back and he turned to him, giving him a smile and thumbs up. "You got this," Ruby called over with a smile, the others echoing the sentiment.

 _Well, at least someone thinks so,_  Oscar thought as he walked up.

He could hear whispers around as he walked up, and did his best to tune them out. He felt hot and cold at once from all the eyes on him. Ianthe strode up with cold confidence; she wielded a sabre with a guard over the handle along with a small, circular shield with four triangular segments. The look on her face only made Oscar fidget more as he slid into place, pulling the cane out. For a moment, Ianthe’s eyes flickered to it and then back to him.

Oscar didn't even have time to take a breath as she crossed the field to him, sword coming down at his head. Muscle memory (it was harder to tell if it was his or Oz's) brought the cane up to parry it away and he yelped as he barely avoided her sword thrust.

“You… make _no sense,”_ she declared lowly.

“I’m… sorry?” Oscar ground out in disbelief before she pushed him back and brought her sabre down.

He dodged it barely, circling back around as he kept the cane steady. “Regardless of what Headmaster Ironwood said,” she intoned lowly, “the Student Internship has yet to reach other schools. So you cannot be from any of the primary academies.”

Oscar parried her next blow, before her shield came down near his head. He winced at the impact on his shoulder before kicking her back, gaining more distance.

“Then I thought perhaps you were just moved ahead,” and she sneered a bit at this, “but your level of skill clearly doesn’t reflect that.”

 _Neither did Ruby’s at first,_  Oscar thought defiantly,  _but she was able to stand by her friends all the same before long!_

“And even if one of those were to be true... that’s not even touching on your familiarity with those _terrorists.”_

 _They’re not terrorists!_ Oscar thought in exasperation- he wondered how much the truth was stretched in Atlas concerning the heist, then decided he was better off not knowing.

“So tell me-”

Oscar parried the next slash but Ianthe pushed back until their faces were just centimeters apart, the smell of lavender filling his nostrils once more.

“Just what are you, Oscar Pine? _”_ _she hissed._ “Why go into the company of criminals? Why do you have the Headmaster lying for your sake? Nepotism? Blackmail? _Are you a headmaster or headmistress’ illegitimate child?!”_

 _Where is all this coming from?!_ Oscar wondered, a little freaked out.  _Especially that last part-_

“ _Tch!”_

Oscar yelped as Ianthe’s shield swatted at his hands, the blow knocking the cane right out of his hands. Ianthe kept her sabre point at his throat before kicking it out of bounds with a clatter. “Surrender,” she ordered.

He probably should have; he was on the edge of the stage and weaponless.

“Nope!”

Oscar dropped his body and stuck his foot out, kicking Ianthe’s legs out from underneath her. She gasped in surprise as she barely rolled back up but Oscar was already aiming a punch at her. Ianthe barely blocked the punch with her shield, and Oscar quickly elbowed the arm with the shield aside and headbutted her backwards.

That was probably a bad time for Oscar to realize that the whole room went silent.

Ianthe regained her footing, head bowed as she panted for breath. A thin line of blood slid down her chin, staining her fangs red.

Oscar paled- he went too far! “I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, rushing to her. “Are you all right-”

“ _BLACKGUARD!”_  Ianthe roared and tackled him off the stage, trying to punch and hit whatever she could- it didn’t do much, considering Oscar had already grabbed her arms to keep from doing too much damage.

He could hear the others calling his name with worry before Cardin was standing over them, pulling Ianthe off of him with a sweat-drop while Russel’s tail pulled him backwards. “Geez, you really can’t go too long without someone tryin’ to smother you, can ya little prince?” he remarked.

Oscar’s face went red. “Stop calling me that...”

“Oscar!” Ruby and Jaune were kneeling beside him, both worried as they looked him over.

“Guys, I’m fine, really-”

“Hey, what’s the big idea jumping him like that?!” Nora snapped at Ianthe.

“You could’ve seriously hurt him,” Ren said sternly.

“I will NOT be lectured by you criminals!” Ianthe spat back.

“Then you will be lectured by  _me,”_  the instructor said sternly. “I expected better conduct from a student hand-picked by Headmaster Ironwood to enter Atlas Academy.”

Ianthe began to protest before deflating at the teacher scolding her. Rowan was massaging their temple while Yamato looked deeply worried. Oscar was about to apologize again before Cardin looked back at him. Jaune’s expression immediately went cold and even Ruby looked stern as they hovered over him.

“ _You…”_  

“Gotta say, didn’t expect you to go all fists akimbo there,” Cardin remarked with a smirk. “Looks like Arc and the others’re doing a good job with you.”

“They are,” Oscar said immediately and noticed how Jaune’s expression went from confused to stunned to proud to furious.

Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. He repressed a growl and got back on his feet, storming away. Oscar accepted Ruby’s hand and got back onto his feet. Russel shrugged and followed Cardin back, the two not so much as glancing back.

_Were these guys really bullies back then? They seem so different from how the others described them._

* * *

Weiss was much happier in her circumstances than she expected, she reflected as they gathered in the library.  

They were still in Juvenile Placement with the school's students (and the populace who have access to the news) seeing them as criminals,  _but she was going to the same school Winter had gone to. She was walking in her big sister's footsteps._

Well, they weren't exactly the same footsteps, but it was the principle of the thing. And she was out of Jacques Schnee’s clutches and as far from the mansion as possible.

So yes, Weiss was remarkably content given her circumstances…. If it weren’t for the fact that her family had been attacked in the dark of the night yet again. Who had been targeted? Jacques? Mother? Whitley?

Jacques was the most likely, if the Hoods’ reputation was what it was. Mother remained outside of the SDC’s affairs ever since Jacques took over. Whitley… before, she could have said no. But if he was the heir to the company now, it’d make the most sense to attack him.

She had already lost her grandmother and aunts and uncles; she had nearly lost her own life once.

_Please, please be okay..._

“You’re sure you’re okay then?” Ruby asked for the tenth time since that morning.

“… I promise.”

Right now, as much as it frustrated her, Weiss could do nothing. Worrying would only eat away at her. No one was dead ( _Yet,_ her mind traitorously supplied) and the attack was stopped. For now… all she could do was focus on what was in front of her.

Schoolwork always calmed her down, brought her back into the presence, and as for settling back into the routine of homework and studying, Weiss had little trouble returning to it. She had some of the best grades between Team RWBY and JNPR (with Phyrra and Blake just behind her) and she was the one who organized most study sessions (Ruby, bless her heart, couldn't organize back then to save her life) back at Beacon.

The lack of freedom did hamper her. They couldn't go outside save for classes, or roam the halls without the guards (Who quickly became background noise with the time they spent hovering over their every move) escorting them and they were barred from extracurricular activities and field trips. Weiss understood why, but the claustrophobia was not welcome.

The stares, the whispers and cold shoulders she could handle. There were still people who disdained of the Schnees and she learned from a young age to brush them off. Besides, she was with her team and friends- there was very little about this that could get her down.

Ruby took Oscar aside to study (Weiss was very proud of how her partner was making sure he could keep up with them) while Jaune, Nora and Ren studied together. Yang was going off to a different section of library; Weiss noticed she had been getting books from there lately but read them in secret most of the time.

“Blake… are you doing okay?” Weiss asked.

Blake didn’t reply, eyes far away as her pencil tapped against the paper.

“Blake?”

She started at her voice and looked back. Weiss’s eyes flickered to the paper- there were doodles of Yang’s emblem, and of Gambol Shroud.

“Sorry, do you need something?”

“I… thought we could talk a bit,” Weiss sounded out carefully. “About… things. About you. How are you doing?”

“… I wish I was anywhere but here,” Blake stated bluntly.

“Anywhere but Atlas, or anywhere but the academy?”

Blake sent her a flat look. “Right, stupid question,” Weiss muttered.

How could she cheer her up? Maybe…

Weiss pulled out the handbook of guidelines and rules of Atlas Academy from the first day and opened up to a few bookmarkers. “Section 1, paragraph 1, bolded out so people can’t miss it: ‘ **It is prohibited to discriminate against students and teachers based on race. Punishment will be severe.’”**

Blake’s expression didn’t change but she was paying attention. “I know it could be better, but General Ironwood makes sure nothing like that is tolerated in the academy. Isn’t that something?”

Blake pointed to the window showing the students wandering outside. “Look at the faunus students’ outfits. Tell me what they have in common.”

“What they…? They all look different. There’s nothing-”

“Look closer. Describe them.”

“Well, that one has gloves and a hood. That one has a jacket with flared ends, another has a thick belt-”

Weiss stopped mid-sentence, eyes flitting to the next faunus student and the next, her stomach dropping in realization. Their clothes and gear all looking different, but all of their outfits had features that could hide their animal parts: hoods, hats, gloves, sashes, belts. One student even had the majority of their face covered to hide scales.

“Even if they’re accepted in here, they’re still in the most openly racist country in Remnant,” Blake said, eyes shadowed. “And it’s the same anywhere else. There are only a few faunus who openly wear their features without something to cover them up, and even fewer places where they don’t feel the need to.”

Weiss immediately thought of Velvet, and of Sun. While both had been different as night and day, they still hadn’t hidden their ears or tail from others’ eyes.

“… faunus who are born in Atlas… some of them chop off their ears or tails, just so that they can pass as humans.” Blake’s hand strayed to her hair- Weiss had seen her contemplating taking a hat before in the gear shop and wondered if she regretted not taking- she hoped not. “When I left… part of me considered it. It would’ve been so much easier to be Blake the human than Blake the faunus….”

Weiss felt sick, hand clenching tighter against the fabric before she took her friend’s hand in her own. “But you didn’t.”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Is that why you used ribbons and threads with your outfit at Beacon?”

Blake nodded. “No one thinks twice about a hunter’s motif or why they use it. Why would they?”

Weiss’s fists clenched around her skirt, disheartened. “I’m sorry. If I had just come here by myself, you wouldn’t have to go through this.”

“If you did that, then you’d be trapped with that scumbag who calls himself your father,” Blake said, hand on her shoulder. “And none of us were going to put you through that.”

“But-! I can deal with him, I know how to put up with-”

Blake shook her head firmly, eyes wet. “ _No,”_  she stated. “ _No._  No one deserves to be trapped with someone who would hurt them.”

Weiss averted her gaze, eyes growing hit and wet.

* * *

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ruby asked.

Oscar sighed, looking a bit exasperated. “For the third time, I’m okay Ruby.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let’s get to studying.”

Ruby sighed but agreed before the two of them began browsing the shelves for books. This hadn’t been Oscar’s first battle, but it had been one where his opponent was actively trying to hurt him. He didn’t need that, not here in the academy when there were already too many people with worse intentions trying to do him harm.

“Hey Oscar, I think we-”

Oscar was gone, a book on the ground. “Oscar?  _Oscar?!”_  Ruby hissed with worry, trying to keep her voice down as she looked for him.

"-not speak a word of this. And if you do-"

"Wait, what are you talking about?”

"Don't you DARE patronize me! You know exactly what!"

"No, I don’t.”

_"What, do I have to spell it out to you?! You already saw them!”_

Ruby rounded the corner in time to see Oscar trapped against the wall, Ianthe Regem’s face millimeters from his from where she clutched his coat collar.

* * *

_Jaune looming over Oscar, furious as he grabbed him-_

* * *

Ruby was already grabbing the girl’s shoulder in a vice, making her turn around, startled. “Wha-?!”

“ _Let him go. Now.”_

Ianthe’s surprised expression turned into a glare, fangs barred in a snarl-

_Wait. Fangs?_

The next moment, Ruby could feel something sharp poking her shoulder and a large hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned to see Rowan and Yamato glare back at her, any trace of their calm and his timidness gone.

“ _Get. Your hands. Off of her,”_ Yamato hissed.

“Ruby, guys, it’s okay!”

Ruby turned to Oscar as he spoke quickly and saw that he wasn’t frightened or even upset. If anything, he was more concerned and realizing.

He took Ianthe’s hands and pried them off of his coat gently. “I get it. I promise I won't say anything. I don't want you to get into any trouble because of this.” He looked at her with understanding and empathy. “I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable.”

“Wait, then you-?!” Rowan began to exclaim before clapping a hand over their mouth.

“It’s okay.” Ruby held her hands with the palms up. “No one will know. I… can’t imagine how hard it is to be here like this. I promise… neither of us will say anything.”

Ianthe stared stunned, eyes wide with shock and anger melting into mortification and confusion.

‘”I-”

She then spun around and stalked out of the library without looking back. “Ianthe!” Yamato ran after her.

Rowan looked at the two of them with sharp eyes, trying to read them. “If you go after her...” they trailed off, eyes hard before running after their friends.

Ruby turned to Oscar, waiting for an explanation. “How did you know she was a faunus?”

“I... saw her fangs, during our battle,” Oscar said quietly. “She was scared I’d tell everyone and get her internship revoked. It’s… why she’s been avoiding me so much. She was scared I’d find out.”

Ruby grimaced; she was masquerading as a human like Blake had at Beacon. It didn’t excuse her attacking Oscar like she had though. And now with Yamato and Rowan’s reactions, she was worried with how Oscar would be able to coexist with them in the dorm-

“Well, let’s get back to studying.”

 _Wait what._  “Oscar, are you sure? We should tell someone if she tries anything like that-”

“She won’t. I don’t think so,” Oscar said. “She really doesn’t want to jeopardize this.”

It didn't sit right with her just ignoring what had happened, but Oscar really didn't seem bothered by it. "Okay…"

* * *

“That was pretty impressive back there, kiddo,” Flynt remarked.

“Darn right it was!” Nora agreed with a grin.

“You just- Boosh! Punch! Kapow! I did not see that coming!” Neon laughed.

“You’re gonna need to work on your form,” Yang said with a teasing smile, “but I think we’ll make a brawler out of you yet.”

Oscar groaned from where he sat, face burning hot as he tried to concentrate on eating his dinner. Even Iris was smirking from where he was eating, more good-natured than sneering.

 _Is it so hard to take the compliments?_  Oz asked with humor.  _I wish I had seen how well you did._

_I can remember it for you._

_It’s really not the same._  Gentle pride and admiration seeps into his voice.  _I’m proud of how well you’re doing. You’ve risen well to this challenge._

Oscar smiled softly. Thanks, before shoveling the brussel sprouts into his mouth-

_GG-GRRK!_

  
Oscar froze mid-chew. He did not just imagine that and a wave of discomfort came over him.  _Oz…?_

 _This is fine,_ came the robotic reply, strained.  _Please don’t mind me._

_Are you sure?_

Yes.

Oscar shrugged and took another bite of the brussel sprouts and felt the same discomfort, albeit muted.  _Wait a second- Oz, are you tasting this?_

He didn’t get a reply, but he definitely felt the sheepishness. Oscar moved onto the carrots, the peppers and the potatoes but didn’t get the same discomfort. When he returned to the brussel sprouts, he could feel Oz tensing and forcing down the discomfort. Oscar’s lips were already tugging into a grin.

_Not a fan of vegetables?_

_I like them just fine,_  came the almost indignant response.  _I can eat them, and I can eat…_ these _. I just need to mentally prepare myself._

Oscar’s grin only widened; the idea of a millennia old wizard actually having to psyche himself up to eat what was his favorite food-! A laugh came out before he could stop it.

“Wow.”

Oscar froze as he noticed Ruby’s eyes on him. “I think this is the first time I’ve heard you laugh.”

His face burned again but his smile remained.

_Well, I’m glad you find amusement in this. Perhaps when we come across your least favorite food, we’ll both get amusement out of that._

_Good luck. I haven’t found mine yet._

Once they had finished dinner, Oscar joined the others in the library once more. The time passed too quickly for him. He was deeply hesitant of returning to the dorm.

 _Her wariness of you makes sense now,_ Oz mused. _I had no idea the Regems would ever have Faunus children,_ _considering_ _… are her friends aware of this?_

 _I think so- that explains why they’re cautious around me too._ Oscar mulled over what he said before. _You’re familiar with Ianthe’s family?_

… _yes. But that was over eighty years ago._

Yamato and Rowan were waiting for him as Oscar entered the dorm, Ianthe curled up on her bed. For a moment, Oscar vividly recalled an old movie where a mob boss had been waiting for an underling and had two guards with him.

He _really_ hoped it didn’t end like that scene did.

Oscar forced his nervousness down and addressed Ianthe, “I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone. I’ve got no intention of breaking it.”

“Maybe not you… but your ‘friends’ might.” Rowan’s arms crossed, a dark look on their face. “That girlfriend of yours knows too.”

“Ruby wouldn’t tell anyone- she doesn’t have a reason to.”

Yamato frowned, for once looking stern and without anxiety. “You don’t know that.”

“I do. She promised.”

“And you _believed_ her?!” Rowan snapped over Yamato’s protest, “You’ve only known her for a few days!”

“Rowan. Yamato.”

Both froze at Ianthe addressing them and calmed down. She rose to her feet and walked until she and Oscar were just inches apart. Oscar kept his gaze steady, trying not to break eye-contact.

“We all have our secrets. That much is clear from the past few days.” Her eyes closed as she took a breath, Oscar noticed how her hands shook. “I will not pry into your affairs… if you will not pry into ours.”

“It’s okay.” Oscar held his hands up to calm her. “I wasn’t planning on asking about yours.”

“… you are far shrewder than you seem. Perhaps you do have a place here after all.”

… _oh_ _,_ Oz remarked, realization for something, but Oscar couldn’t for the life of him understand what for.

“But keep this in mind.” Ianthe’s eyes became like steel. “I have no intention of going easy on you. You might be getting help from neanderthals and criminals ( _Interesting insult choice,_ Oz remarked), but their help can only take you so far- a true warrior will be able to stand on their feet and fight their own battles!”

Oscar blinked before asking, “So, like you guys?”

"And you had best be on your- wait what?" Ianthe froze, confusion evident.

"You guys were able to come here because you worked really hard and are strong and smart, and you only had your own skills to go off of,” Oscar reiterated, smiling a bit. “I think you guys are incredible.”

Ianthe’s mouth dropped open, her entire face going red as she stammered in shock. “Well, aren’t you a flatterer,” Rowan remarked without humor.

“W-well, it’s heartening to see you know true talent and power when it’s in front of you!” Ianthe declared, standing upright again. “Be that as it may, I expect that you will maintain and increase your level of skill, and will be sorely disappointed if you don’t. Now give me your scroll number so I- we, can maintain contact!”

“… sorry, but I don’t have a scroll,” Oscar admitted.

Ianthe blinked, legitimately shocked before she grabbed Yamato and Rowan quickly vacating the dorm.

… _what just happened?_

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” Yamato looked concerned. “He’s seems so nice, but I don’t trust him...”

“He’s too familiar with those seven, and the fact that he showed up around the same time as them... something’s definitely going on,” Rowan declared.

“If worse comes to wear, we can confront the headmaster directly,” Ianthe stated before frowning softly, “… though I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Rowan looked at her curiously. “Do you _actually_ believe what he says?”

Ianthe remained silent, lost in her thoughts. That boy was transparent and honest…. But rather than directly lying, he spoke in technical truths. As for the understanding and compassion he had shown… Ianthe did not want to believe it had been a lie.

_He’s made it clear that he will uphold my secret… should I not do the same?_

“Look, just… try not to let his cuteness or boyish charm distract you,” Rowan sighed, ruffling her hair. “Last thing I want is for anyone to take advantage of you.”

Ianthe blushed again. “What do you take me for?”

“Not gonna risk my life answering that.”

“Wise choice.” Ianthe gave a short sigh before saying, “For now, we will remain cordial with him. He has done his best to accommodate him, and we must do the same for the time we have here.”

“Got it.”

Yamato nodded before fishing out a notebook. “So, how are you guys’ lists looking?”

“We’ve barely been here a few days, how do you have so many names already?!” Rowan wondered, looking over the pages he had already filled out.

“I’m very good at what I do,” Yamato said with a rare smirk.

Ianthe gave a smile at this before sighing. “We have a month; it’s more than enough time. Though I do wonder what the purpose of the lists are...”

* * *

“Y-you’re serious-!”

“But of course, Professor.”

“All these years… she was right there in front of me-!”

“Well, now you have a chance to reunite with her.”

“If you can do that… I’ll do anything you need me to.”

“I was hoping you’d say that...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild tsundere appears! Oscar (unknowingly) used flatter! It's super effective! Wild tsundere fled!
> 
> ... is what this chapter essentially is.
> 
> For those of you who are curious, Ianthe is an arctic fox faunus and was originally going to be human before I was inspired by ones @littlemisssquiggles' headcanons and @lythecreatorart's incredible fanart. She takes inspiration from both the Fox and False Rose from The Little Prince, and her mannerisms/clothing/personality is based off of Mine from Akame ga Kill, Asuka Langley-Sohryu from Evangelion and Rin Tohsaka from the Fate series.
> 
> Rowan Radclyff is non-binary and the one who holds the brain cells between them, Ianthe and Yamato. They're inspired by Archer and Shiro Emiya's Unlimited Blade Works with some allusions to John Henry. Originally their name was going to be Rayleigh and be male.
> 
> Yamato Nadeshiko is named for the trope, and I based him off of Aelita from Code Lyoko. The wires he used were inspired by Attack on Titan, and they're not all he has at his disposal. Originally he was going to be non-binary.
> 
> Poor Jaune, Weiss, Ren and Blake: he's going through so many conflicting emotions with his old bullies here while trying to do right by Oscar, she's dealing with ptsd and phantom pains while feeling guilt over her friends', he's feeling inadequate while worrying he won't be able to protect the people he loves and she's feeling trapped in the most racist place in Remnant. 
> 
> Ruby as a mother hen was going to come to fruition, but @littlemisssquiggles helped form the ground work for this.
> 
> What is Yang reading? You'll see; and It unexpectedly has some ties into one of Rooster Teeth's posts about self-discovery in Volume 7 (though not in the way you think.)
> 
> I kept asking tumblr where the tidbit about Oscar loving brussel sprouts and them being Ozpin's least favorite food was, and apparently it came from a RWBY Rewind from Volume 4. Either way, I found it adorable and hilarious- these two need some light-hearted conversation before things get heavy again.
> 
> Edited 8/31/2019
> 
> Oh look, more plot.
> 
> Also more interactions between Oscar and the Intern Students. For them watching Oscar interact with known terrorists is like watching a cat trying to get a rampaging bull’s attention.
> 
> It also brings insight into how protective Rowan and Yamato are of Ianthe and her secret, as well as insight into their perspectives. None of them trust easily and Oscar is raising too many red flags for them. Even so, he’s made it clear he respects their boundaries and is trying to accommodate them.
> 
> As for the ending, feel free to imagine who’s talking but I have a feeling you can guess.


	12. Chapter 12

Oscar’s lungs felt like they were going to explode at this point, and he had only just finished his second-to-last lap. Ruby shot him an encouraging smile from where she joined the others and he tried to return it before it fell off.

“Um...”

Oscar looked over where Yamato was resting, face wet with sweat but looking better than he felt. “If you inhale for three breaths and then exhale for two through the mouth and nose, it really helps out.”

 _It does work,_ Oz offered. _But it takes a bit to get used to._

Oscar nodded quietly before his lungs stopped screaming and he resumed his final lap. It was tricky trying to count his breaths and focus on keeping time (which he lost count of several times), but the end result was as they both said: his breathing felt less ragged and even his body wasn’t screaming bloody murder at him.

“Lookin’ good!” Nora yelled as he went to join them.

Oscar grinned and looked for Yamato where he was with Rowan and Ianthe. “Thanks a lot!” he called over.

* * *

“We’ve been covering the psychological effects that grimm can spread onto humans; these mainly used to affect emotional and mental states,” the teacher said as they tapped the pictures atop the blackboard. “But today, we’ll be discussing a particularly insidious creature.”

The projector came to the next picture, showcasing what looked like a long-haired human head… attached to a mosquito-like creature whose mask had large red eyes that looked like gems. It’s eight legs were long and spindly with grotesque feelers down the appendage and cobweb-like wings.

”The Keres.”

“When one locks eyes with this grimm, it traps them within a powerful illusion; sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell cannot distinguish it from reality! While they are trapped, the Keres either tears them apart or sucks out it’s victims bodily fluids, leaving them a withered husk! Even those who break free from the illusion suffer severe mental trauma for the rest of their lives! Some of them are so affected, they try to act out the illusions they suffered in an attempt of self-fulfilling prophecy!”

Oscar winced as he rubbed his hand, feeling a callus underneath his glove from where his pencil rubbed against it. He switched to his other hand for the rest of the note-taking trying to follow along with what the teacher was saying.

“Wait, did you seriously copy everything the teacher said or wrote down?” Rowan asked, peeking over his shoulder.

“Well yeah. That’s what note-taking is.”

They visibly winced showing him their notebook and he blinked in confusion at how sparse the notes were, with several misspelled words and even some doodles by them. “Abbreviations are you friends, just like visual aids,” Rowan said. “They take up less room and you can understand them better.”

“Really?”

“I get you wanna get as much info as possible, but just copying down it down word-for-word is just gonna wear you down faster and make it easier for you to fall behind. Not to mention you can just get some of this info from the library, already making some of the notes redundant.”

 _They’re a great deal of help in reports, I’ve found,_ Oz agreed.

“Thanks,” Oscar murmured to them.

* * *

Blake looked over her notes one more time before turning to the model she made. Ruby’s notes came in handy for this, already with new ideas. She had already fashioned crude models of Gambol Shroud’s broken pieces while pouring over books to figure out to both repair her weapon and upgrade it.

Gambol Shroud had been forged based on the different parts of her former comrades and friends own weapons; the blade from Adam, the wires from Sienna and the form changes from Ilia. She had made it as a weapon that would take down the enemies of the White Fang, to bring in the world she thought she and Adam wanted together.

It hurt that she weapon she had used for so long had been broken… yet it seemed fitting in a way. She no longer fought for the White Fang (not what it had degraded into, no longer fought for Adam (who had defiled what they were supposed to stand for).

In a way, it was poetic that her weapon had been broken during the fight, yet had still been able to take down the man- the monster-

Her eyes closed, warding off the memory, the feeling of his body sinking against the handle, the sound of his bones cracking against the stone before hitting the water-

“Blake?”

Blake felt a hand settle on her shoulder and Ren looked to her in concern. She took a few deep breaths, her ears flattening against her head as she fought to calm down.

“- they serious?”

“Why are they letting them even near the smithy?”

“They could be making who knows what over there.”

She recognized the voices- two of the members of Team CNRY, Clementine and Ran- but paid them no heed. Sneers and insults were no stranger to Blake, certainly not those having to do with her.

“Disgusting thing.”

“Think she has fleas?”

“At least that _animal_ knows-”

**_C_ _rack_ **

Iris’ hand came down directly between them, breaking the wood block on the weight and making them shriek in surprise. “Oh damn,” he deadpanned. “Am I clumsy.”

“What is your _damage_ , Regem?!” Clementine hissed in anger.

“What? It was a complete accident,” Neon chirped faux-innocently, startling them both further.

“Er-” the blonde began before Ran snapped, “Hey, this is a private conversation!

“Then you shouldn't have been _talking so loud,”_ Iris ground out, splintering apart the wood block further.

“Mind your own business!” Clementine spat.

“If you’ve got something to say, then say it to their faces,” Flynt drawled. “Or are you too scared to do anything besides whispering behind someone’s back?”

“I- you-” the red-head began only for Kadium to loom behind Neon, Iris and Flynt, casting a shadow with a look that could have very well haunt Blake’s nightmares if she didn’t already have enough fuel for them already.

The two girls exchanged glances before walking away. Blake blinked rapidly at the scene, unsure of what to think of what just happened. She wasn’t surprised by the kind of talk CNRY was engaging in, but she was surprised by FNKI stepping in as they did, especially Iris.

Neon gave them a cheerful thumbs-up, Flynt tipped his hat and Kadium waved back with a lopsided smile that only made the shudder grow down Blake’s spine. Iris avoided her eyes, arms crossed.

“Thank you,” Blake said softly.

“Hey, of course! Friends look out for each other,” Neon smiled.

Iris refused to meet her gaze. “Don’t think I did it for you; I take any chance to knock those bitches down a peg or ten. You just happened to be in the same area. The world doesn’t revolve around you dumbasses.”

“Of course not.” Blake’s lips twitched despite herself-

_?!_

Flynt sighed and Neon gave him a flat look but he showed no remorse before Kadium hooked her arms around his midsection and carried him away. “Hey, I can walk, Kady! Come ON!”

Blake watched as FNKI got back to their weapons but Iris’ scent- or lack there of- still wafted through her nose, nearly drowned by the scent of lavender oil. If he hadn’t come so close to her, she would have missed it entirely.

_Is he…?_

* * *

Oscar settled his grip on the cane carefully before taking his stance. _Here he comes-!_

Jaune remained silent, eyes locked on where Cardin was sparing with one of the members of Team CNRY (He never thought he’d be rooting for a guy to beat a girl, but he was going through several first times in the past months). Oscar grimaced at the look on his face; this didn’t look like it would be a good time to get into this then. He knew Jaune had problems with them, so he didn’t begrudge him for this.

_But I wish..._

“What is this weapon supposed to be?”

Oscar turned to where Ianthe approached him, the scent of lavender already alerting him, eyeing the cane with curiosity. “From the looks of it, it has no other combat form or dust indents. It seems it’s only functions are to be used in bludgeoning one’s opponents.”

“That’s the point,” Oscar replied, remembering his lessons and the Battle of Haven. “This isn’t for killing, just subduing opponents.”

Ianthe nodded with a thoughtful frown. “Whom did you inherit this from?”

_!_

Oscar froze. “How-?! I mean, _what?”_

“There are many who inherit weapons from relatives, including those who fought in the Great War.” Ianthe pointed to Jaune’s shield. “I remember seeing that shield worn by Jason Arc in the history books.”

Jaune’s family fought in the Great War?! They must have all been great warriors then. _But I guess Jaune is a different kind of warrior from the_ _m._

 _I_ _ndeed, but no less strong,_ Oz agreed.

“And from your stances and your general hesitance to either tinker or enhance the weapon, it was easy to draw that conclusion,” Ianthe finished.

 _She is intuitive indeed,_ Oz remarked, subdued. _She may be_ _a problem._

“… a teacher gave it to me,” Oscar finally settled on, and he wasn’t even lying this time (even if Qrow was stretching it kind of thin.)

“You didn’t inherit this from a parent then?”

Oscar’s throat constricted as his blood went cold, looking away and trying will his eyes not to grow wet and for his stomach to uncoil itself.

_Oscar…?_

“I apologize,” Ianthe said quickly. “I didn’t realize-”

“N-no, you couldn’t have known-”

“I shouldn’t have-”

His voice caught and Oscar tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Ianthe looked over him with barely veiled concern before her eyes flickered to Jaune, still staring at Cardin’s battle. Her teeth bared briefly ( _Where did her fangs go-?!_ ) and she moved to stride towards him.

“Wait Ianthe, please!” Oscar quickly moved between them.

“He is supposed to be helping you, not… whatever he is doing right now!” she growled, eyes narrowed. “And he is supposed to be a leader?”

“It’s okay, really! I think I need a break anyways!” he quickly put in- the last thing he needed was for her to start a fight and draw any more unwanted attention to his friends!

Ianthe looked between them before giving an exasperated sigh. “Very well. I will abide your wishes.”

Oscar sighed with relief and practically ran to the back where the coolers were. He had no idea what flavors Ianthe liked, but it didn’t matter much as there were only two bottles of flavored water (one grape, one orange) left. “Here,” he got out, handing her the grape-flavored water.

“Thank you.”

Oscar opened his own and swallows a few gulps, his throat already feeling better. He heard a slight wince and his eyes flickered over; Ianthe was chugging down the water as quickly as she could, a shudder of disgust going through her as she finished it. When she noticed him looking her way, Ianthe immediately forced her composure on again.

“Was that a bad flavor?”

“I am not overly fond of anything grape-flavored, but I was not about to turn down your offering. Besides, it quenched my thirst so it was not completely unsatisfactory.”

… _it’s just flavored water_ _,_ Oscar thought with a sweatdrop.

 _The Regems have always_ _been a serious sort,_ Oz mused before Oscar held his own bottle to her. “Well if you want, you can a sip of mine. I already had a little, but I can clean the top if you’d like.”

Ianthe froze at his offer, eyes flickering from the bottle to Oscar and back again. Oscar didn’t know why, but clearly she was grappling with an incredibly hard decision. She was also currently reducing the empty bottle in her hand to a crumbled mess.

“Hey, whatcha doing?”

“ _ASDFGHJKL!”_ Ianthe shrieked as Rowan tapped her from behind, nearly making Oscar spill the water all over his coat.

“Uh, everything all right over?” Yamato asked with concern. “You both seem…”

“THIS IS FINE,” Ianthe declared, voice robotic and face red as a tomato- was that steam coming off of her?! Why?!

_Am I missing something? It’s just flavored water..._

_Hmm,_ came Oz’s reply with a slight wince.

_Okay seriously, what’s the pro-_

“- _can’t_ be doing this on accident,” Rowan muttered in disbelief.

“Doing what on accident?” Oscar asked, realizing there was a whole other conversation going on now.

“Don’t worry about it,” the tall student said, patting his head slightly.

 _Okay…?_ _This is getting weird…_ Oscar sweat-dropped again before remembering Oz’s earlier words regarding the Regems. “Hey guys, are there any other families here from the Great War?”

“Pretty much everyone here at Atlas Academy has family that fought in the Great War,” Rowan replied. “Same with Menoetius Academy.”

“They welcome only the most elite of the elite, but many here can get a free pass because of ancestors who fought there,” Ianthe explained before her expression soured as she looked over at Team CNRY’s Clementine Pell and Yasmine Alba.

Oscar frowned before asking, “What about you? Did your families fight too?”

“… everyone’s families fought in the Great War, whether they were on the battlefield or not,” Yamato said softly, he and Rowan sharing a glance.

“ _An army marches on it’s stomach”,_ Oz quoted.

“That makes sense,” Oscar realized. “People need food, equipment, shelter… they make sure the ones fighting can do their best.”

“ _Thank you!”_ Rowan burst out before blushing. “A lot of people are so _obsessed_ with strength and fighting(Ianthe’s eyes averted at their words), they don’t think about the work that goes into making sure they’re at peak performance!”

“Is that what your family did?”

“Yup,” Rowan grinned with clear pride. “Radclyffs are blacksmiths and manufacturers. We made sure- well, still make sure soldiers get equipment, weapons and armor. We’re not fighters, but we make sure they got everything they need to kick ass.”

Yamato remained silent, expression serene yet far away. “We were dancers, entertainers. We carried information between towns and armies. We also dabble in... pharmaceuticals,” was added with what should have been an afterthought, but he said this with an odd sort of emphasis.

Oscar shook this off and returned to his original question, remembering what Oz had said before.

“What about the Regems? I know Lavender Regem dedicated their life to merge the academies and military...” Oscar trailed off at the pensive look on Ianthe’s face. “Sorry. Is this a sensitive topic?”

“No... but it is complicated.” Ianthe took a breath.

“We fought on both sides of the war. The Regems were once knights for the king of Mantle. But when he began his campaign to wipe out art and individualism… it caused a schism in our family, torn between their loyalty to their liege, and their honor and integrity in promoting something so wrong. Half remained in Solitas while the other half pledged their swords to the Warrior King of Vale. At the end of it all... only Lavender Regem was left alive.”

Ianthe’s eyes averted, falling silent. Oscar felt an almost overwhelming sadness from Oz and his hand settled on his chest, tightening.

 _T_ _he_ _ir actions_ _saved so many lives._ _I wish I could have..._

Oscar eyes closed. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“I can’t imagine why you’re apologizing,” Ianthe sighed. “You had nothing to do with the Great War.”

“… right.”

For a few moments, there was a tense and awkward silence between them.

“Sooo, why is he so riveted on that spar? It’s interesting, but not overly impressive,” Yamato immediately changed the subject, pointing towards Jaune still watching the fight.

“Did they used to go out or something?” Rowan asked.

Oscar blinked as he realized they were all looking at him now for an answer. “They went to Beacon together. Jaune and Team CRDL and the others,” Oscar said carefully.

“The same school that fostered that violent harridan who broke a student’s leg and turned Phyrra Nikos into a murderer?” Ianthe questioned, eyes narrowed.

Oscar could _feel_ his pain at his students being slandered and exclaimed, _“_ _It’s not like that! Yang wouldn’t hurt someone on a whim!”_

The Intern Students blinked in surprise at his outburst and Oscar felt his face go warm from embarrassment. “A-anyway, apparently CRDL used to be bullies back then and that’s why the others are wary of them.”

“… the criminals are wary of supposed bullies,” Ianthe repeated with disbelief.

“But they were so nice before, and I haven’t seen any of them pick on other students,” Yamato said with concern.

“You sure they’re telling the truth?” Rowan asked, frowning. “They could be lying to make them look bad.”

“No, they wouldn’t lie about that,” Oscar said with conviction. “It’s been around a year since they were students. I’m sure a lot has changed.”

“How do you know?” Ianthe pressed, apprehension slipping into her voice. _“How can you have such confidence in them?”_

Oscar felt his stomach plummet from their expectant and searching gazes. How was he supposed to defend them without giving away compromising information?!

“Um, here’s an idea,” Yamato interjected. “Why don’t we…”

* * *

Ruby sighed with relief as the final period ended, the screams of joy and clothing being thrown off echoing down the hall.

“Do they always have to do that?” Yang asked with a sweat-drop.

“Cold Hams, Yang. Cold. Hams,” Nora said sagely.

Weiss remained silent, face red (probably wondering if Winter reacted similarly after her own classes) and eyebrow twitching. Jaune was silent, still watching Team CRDL out of the corner of his eye.

“All right, let’s go!”

Ruby blinked in surprise as the Intern Students materialized out of nowhere- save Yamato- around Oscar. “We’re borrowing this guy for a bit. We’ll return him at dinner,” Rowan declared, hand settling atop his head.

_Wait what?_

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold it right there!” Kalen exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger. “It’s our job to guard themfrom doing anything dangerous! You can’t just take one of them out of our sight!”

“Why not?” Ianthe’s eyes narrowed as her hand settled to cup her chin. “It’s not like he’s a criminal, _right?”_

Rowan and Yamato eyed the red-head with similar looks, hands rubbing their chins as well. “W-well...” Kalen trailed off.

“Um, Oscar?” Ruby spoke up, incredibly confused. “What is… going on?”

“Sorry this is kind of spur of the moment,” Oscar apologized, “but I promise it won’t take too long-”

Nora settled a hand on his head, ruffling his hair. “Have fun, kiddo!” she declared with a grin.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been working so hard, you deserve a break,” Ren assured him gently.

“Are you sure…?”

“Go,” Blake spoke gently.

“Don’t have too much fun now,” Yang grinned.

Oscar smiled with relief at their urging and his eyes returned to her. Ruby blinked in confusion before realizing he was waiting for her consent.

 _Why would he need mine? He can do what he wants,_ she wondered but nonetheless said, “We’ll see you later then, Oscar! Good luck with whatever you’re doing!”

His smile widened into a grin and he nodded with enthusiasm. “Thanks guys!”

The Intern Students looked at Oscar like he had sprouted another head during the entire confrontation. Rowan’s eyebrows disappeared into their headband, Yamato’s head cocked to the side with an agape mouth and Ianthe’s expression was filled with incredulity, eyes shinning with questions before regaining her composure.

“Very well then,” she declared briskly.

Oscar waved goodbye one more time before Ianthe took his hand and the four of them walked off. Kalen sputtered in disbelief, gesturing wildly between their group and Oscar before Krishna set a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Keir offered and followed after them.

“… well, that happened,” Yang remarked.

“I suppose we should get going to the library then,” Weiss suggested.

“Right. Jaune?” Ruby turned to her friend, but he was still watching Team CRDL. “Jaune!”

“Huh?” He looked at her, finally snapping out of it. “Guys, where’s Oscar?”

Ruby’s mouth dropped open, disbelieving. “Seriously?” Nora deadpanned.

Ren shook his head at him before Ruby sighed with exasperation. “Let’s just go.”

They each splintered off into different groups once they made it to the library. Ruby gathered up her books and notes, settling at the table where she and Oscar took refuge at to study and talk about Oz. She tried to focus on her notes and homework, but her mind refused to stay on task and her hands stilled against the table’s surface.

It felt so strange to be here without him now. Almost lonely.

_What am I thinking? The others are just over there. Why would I feel alone when my friends are here with me?_

Was it because he was with others besides them? Why would Ruby be off-put by that? If anything, she was happy that Oscar was able to have some normalcy after the past few months and especially after-

Her breath cut off; the memory of the train, of Jinn’s story, of Oz’s tear-stricken face were still painfully fresh. Ruby forced her breathing to regulate, even as her chest tightened painfully.

“Ruby?”

Ruby gasped at Weiss’ voice, her partner standing over her with worry. “Weiss- hi!” her voice cracked on the greeting, cheer ringing hollow even in her ears.

“Do you want to talk?”

… dammit, Ruby could never lie to her.

It spilled out; her and Oscar’s conversations, trying to figure out how to get Oz back out so they could make a real plan, how Oscar was trying to coax Oz back out on his own.

“So that’s why you two sequestered yourselves away from us,” Weiss said softly.

“Are you mad?”

She shook her head, lips quipping. “No. It sounds exactly like something you two would do.”

Ruby couldn’t help the weak giggle escaping her mouth but it died at the contemplative look on her partner’s face. “Weiss?”

“Yang has a point,” Weiss said carefully. “This fight could extend past our lifetimes. We could spend the rest of it fighting her, without an end in sight. And without any way to kill Salem, or at least stop her… she’ll just keep hurting people. What happened to Beacon and Haven could easily happen elsewhere.”

Ruby understood her partner’s fears. But she couldn’t not fight after learning just what Salem had done., even if General Ironwood disavowed them. Not after it had cost her her friends and life she made at Beacon. She’d do whatever in her power so that whoever took up the fight after them would be more prepared, stronger and smarter.

“Miss Cala- _Maria,_ said that we should focus on protecting what we care for instead of solely looking to destroy our enemies. So even if we do die before this is done, we can at least make sure whoever fights next have what they need to protect everyone from Salem.”

Weiss’ eyes closed at her words, deep in thought. Ruby waited patiently for her to sound out her thoughts.

“I can understand wanting to keep this all a secret. Not just because of the information of magic, the gods and what they did… but because he was so close to it all. To _her.”_

Ruby’s eyes closed before Weiss’ hand settled on her shoulder. “Ruby, you couldn’t have known what Jinn was going to show us.”

“It doesn’t make what I did okay.”

Weiss’ grip tightened, but her touch remained gentle. “No, it doesn’t. But you’re not the only one responsible. We- me, Blake and Yang- all decided to support whatever you did. We were ready to shed blood, even from our own teachers and allies, just to get answers back then.”

Her other hand settled over hers, eyes faraway.

“I know how she felt. Being locked up by a cruel father, separated from what she loved… and willing to do whatever it took to return to them. When… _Jacques,_ took me away, I knew… I’d do whatever it took to return to you all. Do anything in my power to protect you. Even if it went against what I believed in.”

Ruby swallowed the lump in her throat, the images of Salem before she went down the path she chose contradicting harshly against the witch they were fighting now. She felt Weiss’ hand tremble against hers as she forced the next words out.

“And… I understand the pain of… of realizing your family… was already broken beyond repair. And of… of watching the parents... who were supposed to protect you...”

Weiss cut herself off with a harsh gasp, shaking. Ruby pulled her into a tight hug, cradling her head and rubbing soothing circles on her back. Of course Weiss would have focused on that first and foremost. Ruby’s own family had been broken apart, even if by different means, but they still loved one another.

“I’m… still wary of Ozpin,” Weiss admitted, “but I’m all for being able to talk things over. I understand… his hesitance, but it doesn’t excuse hiding information that put innocent people at risk, not when we could have made a plan.”

Ruby nodded in agreement, words bubbling in her throat but she bit them down. Weiss seemed to notice this and looked at her patiently.

“I… spent so long, looking up to him. He helped me become better than I was; he’s the whole reason I started trying harder to be a good leader. ‘Being a team leader is not a badge you can take off, but a constant burden’, is what he said to me after Professor Port’s lesson.”

Weiss’ eyes softened with understanding.

“It… it hurt _so much_ finding out he had died too. Penny, Phyrra and even him on top of all that-!” She took a shuddering breath. “I was so happy happy he had come back- it gave me hope with him beside us!”

“And- learning about what he went through… whenever I think about it, my chest tightens so much it feels like I can’t breath and-” Ruby swallowed down the lump in her throat, refusing to let her tears fall. “No one should have gone through something so awful.”

Weiss nodded in agreement, brows furrowed.

“ _I want to trust him,_ Weiss. I want to believe in him so badly, it hurts! But does _he_ even believe in himself?! Was anything he said to me-us real, or was it just to make us feel better? How can I trust him when he talks about wanting to protect people and was still okay with putting everyone on that train in danger when we could have made a plan? And that’s not even talking about all the people he’s making fight Salem when they don’t know the whole truth-!”

Weiss wrapped her arms around her frame and Ruby’s forehead settled against her shoulder. “There’s nothing we can do for the ones who have already died. All we can do is focus on what we can do for ourselves.”

Ruby nodded, some of the weight on her shoulders dropping off at her partner’s words. “Thank you, Weiss,” she murmured into her shoulder.

Weiss gave a huff of amusement, hand coming up to ruffle her hair. “Of course. Now, let’s get some actual studying done, shall we? I won’t let you slack off just because Oscar’s not here!”

* * *

“ _How in the hell-?!”_

_Summer smirked triumphantly while Rae glared daggers at her. “You’re cheating. I don’t know how you’re doing it, but I know you are.”_

“ _Whatever you say.” Summer gathered up the cards, shuffling them expertly. “So thirteen out of twenty-five?”_

“ _You got this, Rae!” Tai yelled over from where he was practicing his forms, earning a middle finger in his direction._

_Qrow chuckled quietly from where he was lounging, one leg hanging off the edge of the train as it continued to move along. The countryside was beautiful and the air smelled great; he could really get used to this._

_Their first training mission: heading to help a town that suffered a recent grimm attack. Just a few miles outside the main city, near the train. Honestly, Qrow had a hard time believing it was a mission reserved for third-year students. But they got to do it anyway!_

_The only downside to it was…_

“ _You could fall off like that.”_

_Qrow sent the little shit of a headmaster a flat look, purposefully hanging off a little more. He insisted on accompanying them if they were going to do it. Summer had been terrified that if they screwed up they could be expelled (even though all the shit they had pulled before hadn’t been enough yet), Rae was suspicious and Tai wondered if the little shit of a headmaster was just as stir-crazy as they were._

_Whatever; they were Team STRQ. They handled Beacon and their bastard of a headmaster’s insanity, they could handle anything thrown their way, Bad Luck Charm or not._

* * *

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

_Qrow barely avoided another Beringel as it’s fist smashed the wall behind him into rubble. He fired at it but the bastard just shook ‘em off. How were there still so many grimm left?!_

“ _Rae, is that everyone?!” Summer yelled as Rae guard Ozpin as he ushered the last child to the train._

“ _Yeah!”_

“ _All right, let’s get the hell out of here!” Tai yelled as he unloaded more dust rounds into his tonfas, sending a shockwave that knocked down a Griffon._

“ _Augh-!”_

_Qrow blanched and looked back just in time to see Rae slump to her knees, her aura breaking from exhaustion. She slashed back at the Griffon attacking her, but even he could see it was everything she could do to keep on her feet._

_He heard the snap of bone and Tai’s scream of pain sent cold horror down Qrow’s spine as a Beowolf’s fangs crunched down on his arm, leaving bloody fang marks that showed bone._

” _TAI!” Summer shrieked, giving a yell of frustration as she tried to cut through the Beowolves swarming around her._

It’s all my fault. I did this.

_Godsdamn his semblance, godsdamn him for putting the best friends he ever met and his only family in danger! As a Beringel started charging at him, Qrow let Harbinger go, quietly hoped that this would be enough to stop his bad luck from killing everyone-_

_He was knocked aside and he could only watch as Ozpin took the hit and was sent crashing into the ground, his aura breaking on the impact. Qrow was already racing to his side, kneeling beside him to check over him. The blow had broken his glasses, leaving a few bloody scrapes on his face and from the way he coughed- blood stained his teeth- a rib or two had been broken on-impact._

What the actual fuck?! Why would he just-?!

_Any more thought was cut off as the Beringel leaped right at them._

_So this was how he died..._

… _any second now._

_Qrow opened an eye before they both widened in shock. Ozpin was in front of him, hands held out and a green energy dome crackling above them. But how?! Qrow saw his aura break! How was he making this?!_

_He was about ask several question but the man whirled to face him, eyes shinning gold._ **“Get them out of here!”** _he shouted with an authority and fire that he had never seen before, and was that_ another voice _overlapping with his?!_

_Qrow obeyed, any witty retorts or questions completely stolen away, as he heaved Tai up, Summer cradling Rae as they raced for the train._

_However, the grimm were beginning to swarm en-mass, surrounding them. Qrow tried to run faster, but they were already cutting him off from Summer and Rae. “No-!”_

“ _NOOO!” Summer screamed._

_The next moment, Qrow would have sworn he hallucinated if not for the burning in his eyes. Summer’s eyes shone with pure white light and it billowed out from them like wings. It engulfed everything in white and Qrow had to clamp his eyes shut as the screams of the grimm rent his ears._

_And when he opened his eyes back up, all that was left of the grimm was dust. Summer panted in shock from where she knelt, tears and snot dripping down her face from where she cradled a stunned Rae. Qrow could only stare back at her, just as stunned._

* * *

“ _What the fuck was that?”_

_The train was moving at full speed. Summer took care of the evacuees while the injured, including Tai and Rae, were sleeping off their wounds and broken aura._

_Ozpin looked at him tiredly; he looked so strange without his glasses, face wrapped in bandages. “Not now, Mr. Branwen.”_

_He never called him that; not since that one time they had managed to break into his office and tried to gum up the gears. But after what he had witnessed, Qrow was not in the mood to obey._

“ _You were out of aura. You don’t use dust. And Summer- what she did- you know what happened back there, don’t you?!”_

“ _Mr. Branwen, we are all tired and injured. I… will explain everything once we are out of danger.” Ozpin looked ancient from where he sat and despite Qrow’s irritation... it hurt to look at him; he shouldn’t look that tired, not that little shit who appeared out of nowhere with cookies and hot chocolate and was fine with throwing them into a forest of death or whatever absurd situation crossed his mind._

… _who saved his life. Who deliberately put himself in harms’ way with (seemingly) no way to kill that grimm, just so Qrow wasn’t hurt._

“ _Look, I’m not angry; you saved our asses back there, even though we’ve been makin’ this as difficult for you as possible...”_

“ _You underestimate me.”_

_He snorted. “Not gonna argue with that… look, I’m trying to thank you, okay?”_

_Ozpin looked back at him, a soft, solemn expression on his face. “There’s no need; I wouldn’t let anyone close to me die if it were in my power to prevent it.”_

“Even if what happened was my fault?!”

_There, he said it._

“ _But it wasn’t your fault.”_

_Qrow’s breath was stolen by those five words, Ozpin looking at him with resolute compassion (if there was such a thing); there was no pity, no false sympathy or an attempt to comfort him. Ozpin believed what he said with no doubt in his mind._

_He tried to speak. Tried to yell at him that he didn’t know anything. Tried to snap that his semblance had brought grimm to his tribe before, so what made this time different? Tried to ask why he would risk himself to save a walking Bad Luck Charm._

_But those five words had stolen any rebuttal he might have had. Qrow turned away, eyes burning. They sat in silence for the rest of the ride._

* * *

“ _I’M A WIZARD, GUYS!”_

_So magic was a thing now and Qrow’s world had been turned completely upside down. Tai was taking it the best, Rae looked like she had just been sucker-punched and Summer..._

“ _Can I turn invisible?! Can I transform into a corgi?!” Summer leaped and jumped all around Ozpin from where he sat, eyes hidden by his bangs as he sipped his hot chocolate. “Can I teleport?! Can I do that cool shield-thingy you did earlier?! Can I-”_

* * *

“Qrow.”

He blinked awake, James standing over him- the circles under his eyes had gotten darker and the way he held himself and how his jaw was clenching made it clear he was barely holding it together. “Jimmy…?”

The guard next to him was resetting Maria’s goggles back on her face while another guard was unlocking the handcuff on his wrists. After some food and stretching, Qrow felt more like himself. He cracked his knuckles as he switched through Harbinger’s forms.

“So… what’s up?”

“We just lost contact with the soldiers down in Mantle.” James’s fists clenched. “The last call-in had them under attack from the Hoods.”

That got Qrow’s attention. “Aren’t the Hoods just thieves? Why change up their targets?”

“Something’s changed. They even attacked the Schnees just a few days ago and nearly killed one of his family members.”

“Wait, they weren’t just trying to rob them?” Not that Qrow minded; if anyone deserved to be stolen from, it was Jacques Schnee. But seriously, what the hell was going on? What did the Hoods have to gain from this?

“We don’t know what’s going on, and we can’t spare any soldiers to go down to Mantle right now.” James sighed. “Qrow-”

“Got it,” Qrow cut him off- anything to get back into the game, and away from this place!

Anything to help fix this literal godforsaken situation.

“Winter is already down there with her squadron,” James sighed. “She’ll be at the base.”

Even the Ice Queen was down there? Things _really_ must have gone to shit.

Once the guards were gone, Qrow let the magic wash over him, his body lighter and more aerodynamic. As he flew out the window, he hoped he didn’t imagine Jimmy looking at him with concern.

* * *

Yamato’s foot tapping was audible. Rowan shuffled a bit. Ianthe kept her composure but only just. Oscar swallowed the lump in his throat.

He was used to being the smallest; Jaune, Yang, Ren, Qrow and even Blake towered over him, Nora, Ruby and Weiss. But standing before all of Team CRDL was still daunting, especially considering even Russel was taller than Rowan.

“So, what exactly do you want to talk to us about?” Cardin asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A smaller chapter this time around and more set-up than anything. But things are going to start to pick up more in the next chapter.
> 
> Keres are Greek death spirits- specifically of violent and painful death- known for sucking the blood from those dying before dragging them down into the Underworld, and are personifications of epidemic deaths.
> 
> Okay, names for Team CNRY:
> 
> C- Clemantine Pell (Blonde)
> 
> N- Naomi Navy (Brunette)
> 
> R- Ran Orchid (Red-head)
> 
> Y- Yasmine Alba (White-haired)
> 
> Thank you, @littlemisssquiggles, for suggesting/ helping craft Ianthe and Oscar's scene. This is the first time I've ever written anything involving an indirect kiss and it was hilarious XD
> 
> I know that my pace has been slower and that Volume 7 will be premiering in less than five months, but it means a lot to me that you all really like my story. I hope I can finish this story so that the group can reconcile proper before then, but there's a chance I won't finish before October. Even still, I will do my best to write these characters as well as I can.
> 
> Edited 8/31/2019
> 
> I wish I spent more time before fleshing out the Great War and the families who fought in it. I was going to save that for later, but realized this would be a perfect opportunity to do so. The Regems are big on loyalty and so the ones who left to fight for the King of Vale were seen as traitors. On both sides, the Regems were front-line fighters and their shield semblances protected their allies.
> 
> I edited Qrow’s flashback here to move his plot along a bit faster. There’s something fishy going down in Mantle and I decided to move it up a bit.
> 
> Also the game Summer and Raven were playing was the card game RWBY was playing in Volume 2. And no, Summer was not cheating.


	13. Chapter 13

“So, what exactly do you want to talk to us about?” Cardin asked.

“Um… well, we- um, wow, um-” Yamato trailed off, eyes averting down as his body began to become see-through.

“We are here to inquire about ones Team RWBY, JNPR and yourselves,” Ianthe declared before Oscar could speak.

CRDL blinked in unison. “Okay. What for?” Dove asked.

“Oscar said you guys all went to Beacon together, and that you… were bullies,” Rowan said carefully. “Now _obviously,_ we take what known criminals say with a grain of salt. So we’re here to get answers straight from the source.”

“… Obviously,” Sky repeated.

Oscar grimaced- this may have been a bad idea. “Sorry if this is intrusive, I just-”

Russel leaned over and Oscar startled before his hand settled on his head, ruffling the hair. The gesture was calming. “There’s literally no reason t’ apologize. Ya want info an’ ya don’t wanna drudge up bad memories from th’ others. Am I right, little prince?”

Oscar’s face burned at the nickname. “You’re never gonna stop calling me that, are you?”

“’s not my fault it suits ya.”

“You could have worse nicknames,” Rowan shrugged before their lips quipped into a smirk. “From what I see, it's pretty fitting.”

… _that’s different._

“ANYWAYS,” Ianthe declared, “if we could return to the topic on hand.”

“Well, they weren’t lying,” Sky said immediately, “or exaggerating.”

“Wh-what…?!” Yamato paled.

“We were assholes, bigots, picked on anyone we could when we could and we weren’t sorry for it,” Dove elaborated.

“Geez…” Rowan grimaced.

“They… said you bullied faunus students too,” Oscar said, noticing Ianthe’s jaw tightening. “Is that…?”

“Yeah. We did,” Cardin said without preamble, expression solemn.

Yamato and Rowan’s expressions flickered, former standing closer to Ianthe and latter’s eyes narrowing. “Yet you do not do this anymore,” she ground the words out, eyes intense. _“Why.”_

The four men looked between one another. Dove and Sky’s eyes looked regretful, Russel’s tail shuddered around his waist with a frown and finally Cardin spoke.

“It wasn’t just one thing. It was… a lot of things. But...” His expression became _haunted_. “Having your school overrun by grimm and finding our your partner hid his species because of your asshole-ish behavior… it really puts things into perspective.”

Oscar grimaced. It completely slipped his mind, but of course they’d be affected by the Fall of Beacon. Bullies or not, they still attended and still were trying to become huntsmen. Seeing and experiencing what had nearly happened at Haven and Argus must have been terrifying.

“… bold of ya t’ assume you were th’ reason I hid it. It was easier ‘n th’ long run not to have it out,” Russel deadpanned, even as his tail calmed.

“(Cough) Phrasing (Cough)” Dove wheezed.

Just like that, then tension flickered away as the four chuckled to themselves. “U-Um...” Yamato mumbled, body becoming a little more visible.

“Gotcha, getting back on topic. If you don’t mind me asking… what are you doing with Team RWBY and JNPR?” Sky asked, eyeing Oscar. “After what happened, I didn’t think they’d bring on a preteen to fill Nikos’ shoes.”

Oscar startled at this, eyes widening. “You think I’m replacing their teammate?!”

“That’s what we assumed,” Dove admitted.

“No, I’m not! I wouldn’t even think about it!”

“Whoa whoa, take a breath or two there, little prince,” Russel placated him. “We get it.”

“I am _very_ confused right now,” Yamato admitted, looking at Oscar in confusion and some trepidation. “Oscar, did you know those seven before their crime?”

Oscar considered lying, trying to come up with an excuse. But the idea of doing that, especially to people that he liked, people he could maybe find himself calling...

“Yeah. They’re my… my friends. They’re helping me, they’re… they’re protecting me.”

CRDL didn’t look surprised in the slightest, Cardin even nodding forward his assent. The Intern Students on the other hand...

“Holy Helheim, you’re serious,” Rowan said softly, stunned.

“Oh my- _nope,”_ Yamato breathed, body completely vanishing into the air with only the sound of his breathing any indicator he was still there.

“Is that why you were so familiar with those near-do-wells?!” Ianthe exclaimed incredulous before looking at CRDL. “And why would you speak so candidly of them after what they did?!”

“RWBY and JNPR weren’t what anyone thinks of when you say ‘near-do-wells’,” Sky reiterated, “and they’re still not.”

“They wouldn’t hurt people for shits and giggles, or steal for themselves,” Dove put in.

“Truth be told, they’re not that different from when we went t’ Beacon,” Russel shrugged with an eyeroll. “Noble, righteous goody-two shoes who want to beat up bad guys an’ save the day.”

“They’re not bad people, and they’re definitely not someone to be scared of… not unless you do something really shitty,” Cardin said, arching an eyebrow at Oscar. “I’m guessing they didn’t think of what might happen during their joyride. Am I right?”

Oscar stared stunned, shocked that these four had hit the nail on the head. “… more or less,” he managed to get out.

“… huh,” Rowan said quietly, Yamato becoming visible yet again.

“So you are adamant they’re not villainous in spite of their actions,” Ianthe said carefully, clearly thinking hard before declaring hotly, _“but they are definitely thoughtless, reckless and incautious!”_

CRDL laughed at that. “You’re not wrong there, princess!” Dove wheezed.

“Oh, th’ shit they pulled off at Beacon was _insane!”_ Russel cackled.

“How insane are we talking?” Rowan asked, leaning forward with some interest.

“Oh geez, where do we even _begin?”_ Sky laughed.

* * *

Blake grimaced at her broken models, let down but not surprised. The blade and handle were broken in pieces, the imprint of a boot visible.

“Yours too?” Ren’s own model blades had had molten iron poured all over them, warping the metal into a misshapen mess.

“Here,” Yang murmured, sliding to her side to help pick up the pieces carefully.

Blake nodded her thanks, feeling warm even as the black void in her chest remained, as they gathering up the useless metal and set it aside; at least she still had all her notes, so she could at least make new ones.

“Isn’t that…?”

“Yup.”

“Figures the animal and crazy bimbo would get along.”

“What were they thinking letting _that_ near near the smith?”

“Serves ‘em right...”

Blake’s eyes narrowed, the flash of anger unexpected and hot; a moment later, she felt her hand being squeezed gently. Yang flashed her a small smile, unperturbed. Nora took Ren’s hand gently in her own, squeezing with reassurance.

She knew what to expect coming to Atlas. She knew she would be looked down on and sneered at. But the students ‘ insult to Yang made a new kind of anger ignite in her. Even so, Blake knew it was useless letting this anger run it’s course in this kind of environment-

“Blake?”

She turned to Ren, his eyes locked on her broken models. “Could I see those for a moment?”

Confused, Blake allowed him to take the broken pieces before she noticed the way the metal of Ren’s models had been warped. Particularly, the flickers of gold and copper that had seeped in, shinning dully against the dark gray and black. Her eyes returned to her broken models and Ren was looking over the melted and burnt metal closer.

“You got a plan?” Yang asked with a grin.

Blake nodded, her partner’s cheer infectious as she began to smile as well. She took one of the books from before- “Kintsugi And The Art of Weapon Repairing”-and opened it up. Ren meanwhile brought up one of the volumes of “So You Want To Make A Gun And Not Kill/Injure Yourself In The Process” series: “So You Want To Forge A Compact Sword And Not Have It Fall Apart On you.”

“Ooh, I like where this is going!” Nora grinned.

Her hand flew across her notes, inspiration and new ideas taking hold. Her mind felt lighter than she remembered, pencil scribbling across the paper. But as she turned back to the broken metal, her cheer dampened: even if she made new notes and new ideas, what could she do if her models were just going to be destroyed?

“ _Psst.”_

Kady waved at them with a tiny smile (that looked more like a **v** than a slope) before she motioned them over. There was a cabinet with glass and a lock near the back, labeled “FNKI” beside other cabinets with team names. She opened it up and gestured inside between them and their broken models.

“Wait, really?” Ren asked in surprise. “Is this okay?”

“Nothin’ here says otherwise, so you’re in the clear.” Iris set down the handbook of rules and guidelines for Atlas Academy and where several sections were highlighted. “So you takin’ this or leavin’ it?”

“Thank you so much,” Blake said with a smile.

“Whatever.” Iris shoved his hands in his pocket and walked away. “’s not like I’m doing it for you idiots’ sakes.”

The scent from before wafted past Blake’s nose, faint and almost non existent, but still there. There really was no mistaking it.

“Well, that’s a 180 there,” Yang remarked before turning to Kady. “Did you, Flynt and Neon strong-arm him into this?”

Kady shook her head before pointing over where Ianthe Regem had sequestered herself beside Oscar, Ruby blinking incredulously at her presence, before gesturing towards Iris and back again. “Oh!” Nora realized, fist falling into her palm. “It’s because she’s friends with Oscar, who’s friends with us! Iris is trying to make us happy, so it makes Oscar happy, so it makes her happy! Right?”

Kady gave a thumbs-up.

Blake’s eyes widened and her gaze turned back to Ianthe before going back to Iris. _Then they’re both-!_

“Blake?”

Yang gave her a grin, squeezing her hand. “Mind if I help?”

A smile was tugging her lips up as Blake squeezed back. “I’d love that.”

“All right, let’s do this thing!” Nora declared before adding, “I mean, if that’s okay, Lie.”

“Of course,” he smiled.

Blake motioned Yang through the process: from heating up the metal for the mold, and mixing micah powder with resin together, a few minutes of mixing making it a rick dark gold color.

Remaking the weapon to subjugate and kill for a broken organization and monster of a man, into a weapon to protect Remnant and her friends with the help of the partner who loved her despite everything.

If that wasn’t poetic, Blake didn’t know what was.

* * *

“Oh, are you going to hang out with them again today?”

Jaune’s eyes flickered to where Oscar was with the Intern Students. Ruby was trying to smile, but he could see she was disappointed that he wasn’t going to be with them again.

“Don’t worry, we- _I_ won’t take as long this time,” Oscar promised.

“What? No, don’t worry about it! Seriously.”

“Okay… well, I’ll see you later.”

“Y-yeah!”

As the four left, the three guards looked between one another and quickly pumped their fists before Krishna’s and Keir’s remained closed and Kalen’s was two fingers. “Fine, let’s just go… years at the academy for this bull...” the red-head grumbled as he trailed behind Oscar and the Intern Students glumly.

Jaune gave a small huff of amusement at the scene before noticing how downcast Ruby looked. She remained that way through most of the their study hour.

“Hey, how’re you holding up?” Jaune murmured.

“Jaune, I- I’m fine. Really.”

“You really miss him, huh?”

Ruby blinked rapidly before stammering, “W-what? No! Of course not! I mean, come on! I’ve got all of you after all! Why would I be- Yeah, I miss him...”

She slumped against the table with a defeated sigh. “I don’t get it. I’m really happy that he’s getting along better with those three and that they make him feel better, and I’ve got all of you with me, so why do I feel this way?”

Jaune patted her shoulder sympathetically. “Because you’ve both made a thing that only you two do together, so when it gets interrupted you get sad.”

Phyrra’s lessons on the rooftops had become one of the things Jaune always looked forward to at Beacon, even if the aftermath made them all the more bittersweet. Remembering that brought Jaune back to the sparring and practice he and Oscar were doing… and he remembered getting so distracted, he missed them.

 _Stupid-_ he began to think before stopping the train of thought. _Just focus on him, not them. Make it up to he- him._

“Do you wanna check up on him?” he suggested.

“Do you think they’ll let us?”

“Worst they can do is say no.”

Keir was looking over Nora, Weiss and Ren studying while Blake and Yang were near the back, talking quietly. Krishna blinked over at them as they approached and explained what they needed.

“You can just ask your friend what he’s been doing. There’s no need to spy on him,” Krishna stated. “Or better yet, go with him next time.”

Ruby deflated at this and Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. “We can try tomorrow. If you want, we can study together.”

“’kay...”

“Hey, cheer up,” Jaune said gently as Ruby deflated sadly. “I think this is what Oscar needs right now.”

They loaded up their books and settled in, but Ruby would space out often and become lost in thought. Jaune couldn’t blame her, not when he was doing the same, though his reasons were different.

When he saw those four, Jaune felt like he was going to throw up. Why would any school let them in? Why did they have to show up now of all times, when things were already so turbulent? He thought he had felt the worst back in Argus, but now with CRDL, memories he thought he’d never have to revisit, feelings of helplessness and fear he thought he’d put behind him, were resurfacing.

He felt like he was going crazy, trying to keep an eye on them, but he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t let his guard down, not to them. They might be trying to lower their guards, but Jaune wasn’t fooled. He wasn’t the same person he was back in Beacon: if they tried anything at all-!

“ _I didn’t leave!”_ came Kalen’s voice. _“I’ve been here the whole time!”_

Jaune looked up and Ruby was already on her feet, smiling. “Come on!”

The two went to the front where Kalen was returning to his post. Oscar was just outside with the Intern Students- and Team CRDL.

Jaune felt the air leave his lungs, ice cold. Oscar was talking with them, smiling and Cardin was nodding back. Russel even leaned over to ruffle his hair. Yamato was blushing while Ianthe spoke.

“What are they doing with them?” Ruby wondered, worried.

Jaune strained his hearing but he couldn’t make out their words. But what he could see was that Oscar looked more relaxed than he remembered seeing the boy in recent times.After a minute, CRDL left and Oscar and the intern students came inside.

“ _Jaune.”_ Ruby gripped his arm, warning in her voice evident.

“ _I know,”_ came out harsher than Jaune meant it to as he fought to calm down.

He didn’t know everything. He didn’t have all the pieces. Oscar didn’t know what they were like, or what they had done. They managed to make a good impression on him with lies and empty words, nothing more. But anger still clawed at his chest and he could barely see straight from the rage.

“- head to the messhall,” Ren spoke.

“Whoo!” Nora cheered.

Yamato Nadeshiko fidgeted a bit while Ianthe Regem placed a hand on his shoulder before he blurted out, “Can we eat with you guys, if that’s okay?!”

_?!_

Ruby, Nora, Ren, Weiss and even Blake and Yang perked up at his question and Jaune would have been more confused if the anger in his chest wasn’t trying to claw it’s way out. “Wait, seriously?” Oscar exclaimed in honest surprise. “Are you sure?”

“… yes,” Ianthe declared with a nod.

“Oh. My. God- _goodness!_ _Our baby boy’s friends wanna hang out with us!”_ Nora squealed in delight, hugging Oscar to her tightly.

“Did she just call him-?!” Yamato squeaked in disbelief.

“ _Nora!”_ Oscar yelped, face turning bright red.

“Oh my gods,” Rowan Radclyff wheezed with a grin.

Nora froze as she realized what slipped out and shot away behind Ren so quickly, the tailwind scattered several pieces of paper and pencils. Her color was quickly fading away as she muttered in mortification behind him. “OhgodIjustembarassedhimrightinfrontofhisnewfriendswhatiftheydecidenottohandoutwithhimohgodIruinedeverythi-”

“No no no! It’s fine, it’s okay, really!” Yamato pleaded, trying to calm Nora down even when he was worrying just as hard.

“… let’s just go. Before the second-hand embarrassment kills us all,” Ianthe groaned.

“Sounds like a plan,” Yang barely got out past her snickering.

Oscar was looking over their way with a smile and Jaune nearly recoiled from how strong the anger was in his chest, fists trembling. “Jaune-?” Ruby voiced with worry.

“ _I-I’m not feeling well!”_ he blurted. _“C-Can I just go back to the dorm?!”_

Thankfully, Krishna nodded as Kalen and Keir herded the others over. Jaune couldn’t bring himself to look back, not when the last thing he saw was Oscar’s concerned gaze on him.

* * *

“You really eat those willingly? Not because of a diet or some self-imposed punishment?” Rowan asked incredulously, eyeing the brussel sprouts on Oscar’s tray like they were seconds away from sprouting legs and crawling up some poor sap’s unsuspecting arm.

“I just... really like brussel sprouts.”

“You really do have nerves of steel, don’t you?” Yamato said in wonder.

“And you’re really overreacting,” Oscar sweat-dropped.

“Well, they’re not the WORST food in the world,” Ruby reasoned. “A couple spoonfuls of cheese sauce and plenty of bacon bits go good with them...”

The Intern students blinked at Ruby as she tried to join in and she trailed off under their gazes before Rowan shrugged, “To each their own.”

“I… know a good recipe with brussel sprouts in ramen, but only after putting in a bunch of spices...” Yamato trailed off, body going see-through when Ruby’s eyes flickered to him in surprise.

“Regardless, it’s heartening to see that you’re eating properly,” Ianthe declared. “You need all the advantages you’re going to get.”

Nora chewed her apple thoughtfully as she looked over the scene. This was not something she expected, not after Iris’ kid sister came over to monologue at them (Further proof that all Atlesians were closet/Cold Hams). She had seen the three gravitate to Oscar after that- it made sense, with them all being around the same age.

She didn’t know what happened while the kids had been off gallivanting yesterday, but they weren’t ignoring their existences or giving them as many wary looks as before. The fact that they had asked to sit with them, and were even interacting with Ruby, however sparsely, was a pretty big step up.

But looking at how Oscar was smiling with them, how they were all talking together so care-freely, Nora decided it didn’t matter how. Their ba- cute little buddy had friends outside of them and was being able to experience some of the good times school offered. It even looked like Ianthe and Oscar were able to bury the hatchet after what had happened in the library.

“Okay seriously, can you stop doing that?!” Iris snapped, eyeing the chewed up food hovering in the air just beside Ianthe. “I get you’re freaked out, but all that shit’s gonna do is burn your aura out faster!”

The chewing stopped and Nora heard a small noise of upset from Yamato before Ianthe was nudged a bit, finger indents appearing on her arm. Ianthe shot Iris a scathing look before her free hand settled on where Yamato’s head supposedly was. “It’s okay. You heard what they said- and even then, they wouldn’t try anything with the guards here,” she said, voice surprisingly gentle.

Nora’s stomach curdled even as Yamato began coming back into view.

“Besides,” Rowan added, eyes flickering between Ianthe and Oscar, “don’t you wanna see where this goes?”

“Where what goes?” Oscar asked, confused.

Rowan shook their head, lips quipping. “Don’t worry about it.”

Ianthe’s face turned red and nearly bent over her tray to eat. Ren sent Nora a concerned look and felt him squeeze her hand gently. She shot him a small smile and thumbs up, not willing to get him worked up over this.

_Lie’s already got enough going on on his end. I can’t load him up with more._

“So uh, Ia-” Iris began.

“In any case, my motivations haven’t changed,” Ianthe declared. “I still expect nothing short of your best, Oscar Pine.”

“Is _that_ what the kids are calling it these days?” Flynt asked with a smirk.

“You whippersnappers and your convoluted innuendos!” Neon griped, imitating an old man.

“ _Ku-ku-_ _ku_ _...”_ Kadium giggled, teeth bared like an Ursa’s.

… geez, this was Weiss in their early days of Beacon all over again.

“How can you put up with these _hooligans_ , Iris?!” Ianthe snapped, face red. “I expected more sophisticated company with you!”

Iris refused to answer, eyes trained on his tray. Ianthe’s eyebrow twitched. “I know you can hear me!”

“Do you, Ia? Do you _really_?” he snarked, shoveling potatoes into his mouth in as a rude a way possible.

_Battle of the Tsunderes, Atlas Edition. Will the Regem siblings be able to outdo the Queen herself, Weiss-early-days-of-Beacon-Schnee? Stay tuned-_

“ _So_ _Blake,_ _Ren_ _!”_ Ruby exclaimed over the siblings’ vitriol as lightning crackled between their glares. _“_ _How’_ _re_ _your model_ _s_ _going?!”_

Blake showed her the schismatics and drawings she made, Ruby’s messy scrawl all the more noticeable by her neater lettering. “The kintsugi method is incredibly effective with the ideas I’ve got in mind. I’ve been going over different ways to repair the blade and mechanism. I’m going to be trying different methods for each one.”

“I’m focusing on making them a bit heavier and adding another chamber round in here,” Ren pointed out on his own notes.

“Ooh, maybe you could try lengthening the blade this time! It’ll give you a lot more reach! I mean you’d have to reinforce the handle and mechanisms, but still! Oh, and you might even be able to fit in another weapon form here, Ren!”

“I was actually thinking of...”

Nora grinned at the quiet enthusiasm her partner and Blake were both displaying as they and Ruby poured over her notes. Ever since they got here, Blake had constantly been on edge, half trying to disappear. How could she blame her, considering where they were? Seeing any kind of positive expression on her face was a relief and Nora wished they could do more for her.

_We’ll get out of here soon and never look back at this awful place._

Yang smiled warmly from hearing Blake and Ruby talking, eyes flickering back to her tray with a far away look. Yang was really quiet these days (and it was so weird thinking that). She was either reading all those books in private (The only reason Nora knew they weren’t comics or porn was the fact she got them all out of the library) or just alone in her thoughts/ possibly swooning over Blake.

 _It’s about time._ _I just wish it was under better circumstances._

Ren- Lie… Nora knew this wasn’t his normal silence, or his normal “cheer”. There was something on his mind, something that he didn’t feel comfortable sharing with anyone, not even her. Whether it was about their situation, what they learned or something else entirely, Nora knew something was affecting him… but she had no idea what It was and it frustrated her that he might feel like he can’t talk about it.

_There’s nothing I can do but wait for him to talk._

Weiss’ silence Nora also still couldn’t get a read on either. She didn’t have any instances of her side acting up... at least not any she had told them about. And while she had some of the nervousness Blake had, it was more subdued (even if some of it was gone after whatever she and Ruby had talked about in the library). Nora didn’t blame her either, not after having the displeasure of seeing Jackass Schnee in person. Legal or not, she would find Weiss the chance to break that bastard’s legs.

_Speaking of breaking legs…_

Nora’s eyes settled where Jaune was absent.

Whenever CRDL was in the same vicinity as them, Jaune was twitchier, more easily irritated and always watching them. He was determined to watch any of them in the act of bullying or hurting anyone. Nora was keeping an eye on them too, but had yet to see any of their bullying ways even once since they had arrived.

This wouldn’t be a problem… if it wasn’t starting to affect them, particularly their cute little buddy. Oscar was starting to skirt around Jaune more despite him trying his best to force down his anger and Nora could see it was causing them both upset. If it was becoming so bad that Jaune didn’t even want to eat with them if it meant being in the same area...

_How do we fix this?_

* * *

“Sorry, looks like we gotta give a rain check,” Cardin said.

“It’s our turn to get food- friggin’ lots ‘re rigged, I swear...” Russel trailed off with a huff.

“We’ll be free after dinner,” Dove suggested.

“Don’t go getting into any trouble now,” Sky smirked.

Oscar and the Intern Students watched as CRDL left, feeling disappointed and dismayed. _Well, there goes that plan,_ he thought with a frown, eyes flickering to Krishna’s impassive gaze.

“Well, I guess I should go back-”

“Is all you guys ever do is study?” Rowan asked suddenly.

“There’s not much else to do here.”

“Well, we’ve got two and a half hours to spare; why don’t we do something fun?” Yamato suggested.

“You deserve a break from all of this,” Ianthe declared, leaving no room for argument. “Why don’t we go into the city?”

Oscar mulled this over. Would it be safe to leave like this, even if it was for a few hours?

_Go. Have fun._

“Okay… but we need to get back soon, okay?”

“Good enough,” Rowan said. “Let’s go.”

* * *

The cold air cit at Oscar’s skin, even with his aura bolstered. He couldn't believe that the Intern Students could stand it, but could chock it up to them being used to the cold.

“So, where are we going to go?” Oscar asked.

Ianthe offered him her hand. “Wherever we want.”

* * *

“ _So, where do we go?”_

“ _Wherever you want.”_

* * *

“Oscar? You don’t look so good.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Sorry; just getting some jitters.”

That wasn’t a lie; he suddenly felt rather exposed out here and without the others. He wished they could be here with him.

“Nothing to apologize for; this is your first time in Atlas, right?” Rowan shrugged. “Don’t worry; we know the city like the backs of our hands.”

 _I_ really _hope that’s not hyperbole..._

The city around them was just as clean and radiant as Oscar had seen it from the car. Great skyscrapers, opulent mansions, all shinning in the sunlight and the snow making the light turn from bright to glaring. Oscar had never been so close to the sun before; he felt as though if he strained his arm, he could touch it. The sound of cars, machinery and voices, the drone of giant screens broadcasting news about ( **“In** **other** **news,** **Head of the SDC** **Jacques Schnee made a surprising gesture in a donation towards Atlas Academy** **following a rash of attacks from the Hoods** **-”** )

The people were elegant, beautiful and serene as they went about their business, but there was a coldness and controlled way they held themselves. Even the children held themselves like that. It was so strange to see a toddler’s face to look so blank.

But the bustle and the voices were all drowned out by the drone of airships circling the city, poised to attack at any moment.

Oscar swallowed thickly, now feeling far more claustrophobic.

Suddenly, he felt a slight pressure on his hand. Ianthe gently gripped his hand and startled when his eyes settled on her. “My apologies...”

“It-it’s okay. You don’t have to-”

Oscar gently squeezed her hand back- he felt a little better.

They pulled him along to a cafe that served absolutely amazing desserts (Oscar was going to feel the sugar rush later, but it was worth it when he felt clear delight from Oz when he sipped his hot chocolate), across a great bridge that rose above the streets and was made of glass so they could look down below at the people (“This is a lot sturdier than it looks,” Yamato assured him but Oscar clung to the steel railing regardless) and to a theater ( **“I’m a leaf on the wind.** **W** **atch** **how I soar,”** was definitely one of the most amazing sequences Oscar had seen).

Finally, they stopped near a small dome; inside was a man-made garden that spanned several meters in all directions. The air was far warmer, thanks to giant lamps of yellow light, shinning above them like miniature suns. The plants and flowers were vibrant greens, blues and reds, but utterly still from lack of wind. He could hear birdsong and even caught sight of a man-made stream by a bridge.

Oscar didn’t know how long they sat there, soaking up the atmosphere and light just like the flowers and trees around them. It felt like a lifetime since they had time to relax, even when the last time had been before Argus, just a few weeks ago. How different things had been before Jinn’s story; with that information, it felt like they were being pressured from all sides (which to be fair, they were) and even the respite in Argus was short-lived, while the lessons in Atlas were beneficial, they still didn’t have much time to themselves outside of studying.

He hadn’t even considered playing hooky until Ianthe, Rowan and Yamato suggested it. His eyes flickered to them; all three looked truly relaxed, wearing smiles that weren’t smirks, wry or sarcastic.

Rowan looked like they were moments away from sleep, Yamato didn’t look the slightest bit anxious and Ianthe’s expression was so peaceful. For a moment, Oscar wasn’t sure why they looked so strange before it hit him.

 _They… look like regular kids. This is the first time I’ve ever seen_ _any of_ _them like this._

 _I’m happy for you, Oscar,_ Oz murmured, and he could feel the smile in his words. _These three are doing you good._

 _I thought you were worried about them,_ he countered, remembering his worry over Ianthe’s prodding.

_That doesn’t matter, not when their friendship has helped you as it has._

Oscar mulled this over: he didn’t know the Intern Students THAT well, just barely under a week and a half, and even then it started out rocky.But he didn’t know everything about the others either, and he had only known them for a bit longer than them, and that wasn’t even touching on the rockiness they experienced. He remembered something Auntie Do had said concerning friendship: it’s not about the age, it’s about the mileage.

 _She is very wise_ _-I’ve spent years with people whom I’ve never been close too, and days to months with others that I would gladly risk my life for._

Oscar understood; Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Nora and Ren were all people he had grown to care for after fighting alongside them. His expression softened at remembering the previous day.

_Hey, Oz?_

_Yes?_

_I’ve been meaning to ask this, but… CRDL, did you know-_

_I and my staff talked with them several times about their behavior, but there was little we were able to do to effectively punish them._

_Why not? They were bullying your students!_

_Two reasons: first was that Mr. Winchester, Bronzewing and Lark’s families were apart of the board and supplied Beacon with much of it’s budget. I couldn’t remove them without backlash. Mr. Thrush had the fortune of allying with all three and became part of their circle._

_Secondly, I can do little to punish students’ for such behavior unless_ _witnesses_ _come forward. And when many of those victims were_ _either weaker students, from poorer families, or_ _faunus…_

Oz sighed.

_I have… tried to give my students as much freedom as I can. They will not remain children forever, and will see and experience many things that would break or kill ordinary people- they deserve to be able to enjoy life before it ends._

It was sad, Oscar realized. CRDL had abused the freedom Oz gave them and spent their time there being bullies and hurting others. Even when he tried to straighten them out, he had ultimately failed. But it was here in Atlas Academy, where there was far less freedom that they had become better.

 _It’s okay,_ Oz assured him. _They have become more than they were, and understand what being a huntsman entails. While I wish it could have come about differently, I am nonetheless proud of them all._

Oscar frowned, before remembering Jaune’s reactions to CRDL, how he was the angriest when they were around. He knew just from Jaune’s expression from the day before that he had seen them together. Now, he couldn’t even get a word in, Jaune was doing everything to avoid him. He had hoped that CRDL could give him some answers so he could find a way to fix this, but...

_Hey, did CRDL bully-_

"Guys, look!"

Oscar looked up at Rowan’s soft exclamation, the note of soft surprise and almost giddiness in their voice surprising him. He quickly spotted a bushy tailed bright orange cat that looked almost like a fox with bright green eyes.

"Buh-baby kitten-!" Yamato gushed, eyes watery.

“How on earth did that get in here?” Ianthe wondered but even she couldn’t hide her delight.

The kitten leaped into the brush. “Wait- c’mon!” Rowan was already running after the kitten.

"Think we can still catch it?" Yamato wondered.

"If we don't lose sight of it,” Ianthe declared.

… _so we’re cat-hunting now._

They went through the garden, trying to catch sight of the kitten. As Oscar knelt by the stream, he could see the kitten jump into one of the bushes. He motioned over to the others before pulling back the brush, wincing as one of the thorns pricked the back of his hand.

“It’s okay...” he murmured gently, holding his hand out to the kitten.

She sniffed at Oscar’s fingers before gently licking at them and allowing him to scratch her ears. He smiled softly as she curled up in his lap. His expression became softer as he looked over her tiny, thin body.

 _RWBY once_ _brought in a_ _stray kitten like this,_ Oz reminisced. _He was able to_ _find_ _a good home thanks to them._

Oscar smiled at this as he stroked over her back. “She can’t be more than a few months old...”

“How can you tell?” Yamato asked.

“The families I lived nearby back home used cats to catch rats and other pests. They wandered around a lot, so I learned how to tell the barn cats aside from strays or feral ones.”

"We'll have to review the pet section for Atlas Academy. I've got plenty of siblings who'd love this little one if we can't keep her,” Rowan said with a fond smile.

"I don't think they're technically outlawed, but not a lot of students have them,” Yamato mused, wincing as the kitten bit his finger as he tried to pet her. “It’s hard to take care of pets for huntsmen and huntresses.”

“I’m sure we can find a shelter on the way back to the Academy,” Ianthe decided. “She needs someone who can look after them proper, and we won’t be able to do that.”

The kitten licked at her glove and Ianthe’s mouth parted a bit in a delighted smile. “Your-” Oscar began but stopped himself before he went further- there were other people here after all.

But he hadn’t imagined it: the fangs really were gone. Yamato and Rowan were sitting up, all traces relaxation gone before Ianthe held her hand with the palm up to stop them. “I filed them down.”

“… doesn’t that hurt?”

“ _Nails_ don’t have muscles, but cutting the skin can be painful.”

Oscar grimaced. She shouldn’t have had to do that; if she had gone to Beacon, or Haven, or Shade, she wouldn’t have had to hide herself constantly. But even if she had, there was no guarantee that she would have been treated fairly. Just the fact that she acted like her heritage was something to hide, something ugly to be swept away from people’s eyes… it made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

“Speaking of pain, I’m pretty sure that your chest and neck should be healed by now.”

Oscar’s eyes flickered to Yamato’s concerned gaze. “I’m sorry?”

“Your aura should have healed your injuries by this point. Are they that bad that you have to keep wearing those bandages?”

Ice slithered across Oscar’s veins. He _hated_ whenever anyone asked about his bandages. He tried to speak but his throat was too dry, a lump preventing anything coherent from being formed.

Ianthe looked at him with horrified concern. “Did _they-?!”_

“ _No!”_ Oscar forced out, mortified- he _knew_ they would think that! “ _They would never-!”_

His throat closed up again, still remembering how hard Qrow had punched Ozpin, Jaune looming over him and forced it down. Those hadn’t been his fault, it wasn’t him they were angry with, they were all still reeling from Jinn’s story, it was fine, _it was going to be fine-_

 _Oscar,_ Oz’s voice broke through the panic. _It’s okay. Just breath._

“ **Mew?”**

Oscar looked down at the kitten and she gently licked at the scratch on his hand, tongue lapping up the blood. His hand shook as he petted over her, the action calming him down.

“Hey hey,” Rowan said gently, hands held up. “It’s okay. We get it; they didn’t hurt you. It’s just...”

“It’s a legitimate concern we have,” Ianthe stated, hands clutching opposite arms, worry and concern on full display that took Oscar off guard. “You… are far too kind and compassionate, even to those who have not earned your favor. I- don’t want _anyone_ to take advantage of your good nature.”

“Well, they aren’t,” Oscar said forcefully. “None of them would ever do that.”

“Not knowingly.”

Oscar stared at Rowan before they reiterated, “Don’t get me wrong; from what CRDL’s told us and what we’ve seen of RWBY and JNPR and how both match up… we get it. They’re not malicious… but they don’t think things through. They could hurt someone without even realizing it.”

Oscar grimaced at Ozpin forcing down flickers of empathetic pain and acknowledgment; they hit the nail on the head _hard._

“You’re not wrong,” he acknowledged before saying determinedly, “but whenever they realize they made a mistake or hurt someone, they do everything they can to try and fix what they did, or help who they hurt.”

For a moment, Oscar felt just a touch of resentment before it was quashed just as quickly. He wished he could feel like Oz would listen if he told him what he and Ruby were trying to do, but his clear denial and repression made it clear he wouldn’t listen. His hand touched his chest, tightening it gently.

“Oh!” Yamato declared, fist falling into his palm. “They’re an aesthetic, right? Like Ia’s epaulets! Right?”

“YES!” Oscar burst out. “That! That is- that...”

_Okay, definitely an easier answer than the truth. And not even a lie! I think they do look cool- kind of?_

“Ah, looks like it’s nearing dinner. We better get back before you’re missed,” Rowan remarked. “And get this little one out of here.”

Oscar nodded, looking back at the kitten as she purred in his hands. A small, fond smile flickered on his face and he leaned down to kiss her head.

_**?!** _

He jolted at the feeling of what he could only describe as static electricity crackled between them.

“Oscar?” Yamato called to him.

The kitten blinked at him, head cocking in confusion. She didn’t look hurt at least, and Oscar didn’t feel strange either aside from the shock. He shook his head and followed after them.

* * *

This was not how Oscar imagined his first trip to General Ironwood’s office would go down. It took everything he had not to crack up at the man’s expression… of course remembering their last meeting quickly wiped away any humor.

“We’ll put them up for adoption as quickly as possible!” Oscar burst out as the man’s head bowed, expression shadowed before he… laughed.

Yamato looked seconds away from fainting while Ianthe and Rowan’s mouths dropped open. _Is- is this bad?_ Oscar asked Oz.

_I’m… not sure._

“Ahh… I needed that,” the man sighed before becoming serious. “You will be responsible for them. If I do find them anywhere outside the dorm before adoption, then they will be taken.”

“ _Thank you sir!”_ the Intern Students burst out, saluting while Oscar stood to the side awkwardly.

“You’re dismissed. Oscar, if you would hold on a moment.”

He froze at his voice and looked over at the Intern Students. Ianthe gently gripped his hand reassuringly before scooping up the kitten and following Rowan and Yamato out.

“How have you been settling in?”

“I’ve… been doing well.” Oscar hated how halted his speech was, being put on the spot. “The lessons are informative and I’m learning a lot.” Oscar shuffled a bit, embarrassed at how he could barely get a word out, completely put on the spot.

“Is anyone giving you problems at all?”

Team CRNY had, but they had backed off. “No sir.”

“And… how is _he?”_

 _Oh. Right._ “We’ve been talking. He’s doing better, but he’s only talking to me.”

“… I see.”

He could feel Oz’s wariness- after their last talk, Oscar felt conflicted on this change. _Are you okay?_ _Do you want to talk with him?_

…

“-future, do not leave the school grounds.”

Oscar blinked at this. “I’m sorry?”

General Ironwood sighed. “There’s been unusual sightings in Mantle and the Hoods have been causing more trouble as of late. If we lose sight of you...”

Oscar frowned. “Right… General, how are Qrow and Maria?”

“… both are in custody.”

That didn’t answer Oscar’s question and the flicker in his eyes made him suspicious- why had he hesitated? He hoped they were all right; Maria he didn’t worry about but Qrow was alone with his withdrawal symptoms and despite what had happened, he hoped that they would be able to patch things up between them. Or at least, help things so they’d be civil at least; he didn’t know if he could help undo years of-

_!_

His stomach plummeted- how could he have forgotten? “General… what day is it today?”

“The tenth. Why do you ask?”

 _Oscar?_   Oz sounded worried but he couldn’t summon the motivation or the care to answer back.

“… just wondering. Thank you.”

“… very well. Have a good night.”

Oscar turned and walked as fast as he dared, ignoring Oz’s worried _Oscar?_

_It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s fine. This is fine._

* * *

“Jaune.”

He ignored them, keeping his gaze locked on the wall.

“You can’t just keep avoiding him,” Ruby said. “I know you’re upset, but this isn’t making things better.”

“Jaune please,” Nora said gently, “you promised to help him.”

“This is only hurting you both,” Ren put in.

But he knew what would happen if we went out there: he’d lose his temper, and he could hurt Oscar, whether he meant to or not. No, he needed to stay here so he didn’t do anything he’d regret.

“Jaune.” Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can’t imagine what you went through, or how you were hurt back then. I wish I could have done more for you. But I’ll tell you what I said before: you’re a leader, and you’re not allowed to let your team down. Any of them.”

… dammit, there was no way he was getting out of this, was there?

“So, you’re coming to dinner this time?” Kalen asked from where he and Keir waited outside. “Absolutely su-”

Keir elbowed him, shaking their head as Jaune followed them to the messhall.

He couldn’t see CRDL, thank gods (and his mood only soured at suing the phrase, alluding to the bastards) but he remained on edge. He stiffened further as he saw the Intern Students come with Oscar. But as they all sat down (Jaune had missed this, even if it was eating in the same vicinity as CRDL), it was clear something was wrong.

“Oscar? Are you okay?” Ruby asked with concern. “You’re barely eating.”

“Did something happen? Did you run into CNRY again?!” Nora pressed, worried. “I swear if they tried anything-”

“I’m fine.”

His voice was monotone, motions almost robotic as he began to pick at his tray. Jaune blinked in concern, his earlier irritation forgotten. He looked at the Intern Students, but they seemed as confused and concerned as them.

FNKI picked up on this and tried to keep conversation light. Ianthe even indulged Iris when he tried to speak to her, shocking the huntsman. Yang, Weiss and Black tried to cheer Oscar up, but he remained unresponsive. Even when they mentioned finding a kitten (Ruby and Blake especially were delighted by this, reminded of when they had found one during school), he was completely silent.

 _Something’s really wrong. I’ve never seen him like this,_ Jaune thought with worry, cursing himself for ignoring him until now.

He tried to speak to Oscar but he abruptly stood up and left. Ianthe, Rowan and Yamato exchanged glances before hurrying after him. Krishna and Keir moved to do rock-paper-scissors, but Kalen was already tailing them.

Jaune’s stomach clenched with anxiety. He didn’t know why Oscar was acting like he was, but he was getting some ideas.

“You don’t think we missed his birthday, do you?!” Nora asked with worry. “Or something else important?!”

“He never mentioned anything like this, so maybe it’s something else,” Ren tried to placate her.

“Did he say anything to anyone about this?” Weiss wondered.

“It doesn’t look like it from how the Intern Students reacted,” Blake grimaced, exchanging a worried look with Yang.

Jaune’s stomach twisted with guilt and he didn’t need to look at the others to know they felt the same. He had said Oscar was one of them, but there was so little they knew of him. It had only been a little more than a month, but-!

“Come on.” Ruby rose to her feet. “Let’s go check on him.”

Weiss nodded, rising to her feet with Blake and Yang, Nora and Ren right behind them. “He most likely went back to the dorm,” Keir said Krishna moved behind them.

“Okay, let’s-”

“Where’s the little prince?”

Jaune froze, cold and hot running down his veins as he turned to Cardin and the rest of CRDL. “Get out of our way,” he growled.

“Hey, we’re just worried- he’s never apart from you guys for long,” Russel shrugged, eyes narrowed.

“Since when do you care about him?!” Jaune spat. “You don’t know him-”

“ _ALL OF YOU!”_

Jaune looked up as Ianthe sped towards them. Immediately, his anxiety spiked at the frantic look on her face, how she was barely holding back tears. “Oscar, he- he needs-”

Ruby was already speeding down, a flurry of rose petals scattering in her wake. Jaune ran right after her, not even caring that CRDL was following them. Rowan and Kalen were outside the dorm as Jaune turned, Ruby reaching them.

“ _Oh thank gods!”_ Yamato’s voice cracked, tears sliding down his face as Ruby reached him. “Please- help him!”

Oscar was hyperventilating, eyes wide and unseeing as he clutching at his head like it was about to fall off, Rowan and Kalen trying to hold him from scratching at his throat. Ruby was beside him in a flash, Nora and Ren following right behind her. “Oscar, we’re here,” she whispered, trying to take his hand before he shied away.

Weiss, Blake Yang and the rest of CRDL couldn’t file in, but kept outside. Blake and Yang looked horrified and Weiss couldn’t bear to look, averting her eyes. “What the hell…?” Cardin whispered.

“What’s going on?” Jaune fought to keep calm as he addressed Kalen, but seeing Oscar reduced to such a state, when even after what he did in Argus hadn’t upset him as badly, made him feel sick.

“I have no idea! W-wewent to go check on him a-and he nearly strangled himself with _these!”_ Kalen looked just as distressed, gripping the bandages in trembling hands. “H-He kept saying th-that his head was gonna fall off-”

“Bandages-”

Oscar was struggling against Ruby and Nora’s embrace, hand reaching towards Kalen and Rowan with wide eyes. “Gotta tie them back-”

Rowan flinched back, tears brimming their eyes while Kalen shied away, keeping the bandages out of his line of sight.

“Oscar, it’s okay-” Ren began, reaching for his shoulder before Oscar knocked aside his hand.

“NO! I _need_ them! _Give them back!”_

Yamato turned away, hands clasped over her mouth as he tried to muffle a sob.

“He nearly strangled himself?” Jaune felt like he was going to throw up.

“Please! My head- it’ll fall off without them-!”

“I think he was trying to take them off, a-and panicked trying to tie them back. I-I tried to calm him down and then...” Ianthe’s voice shook as she struggled to stay calm before her brow furrowed. “His eyes glowed- his voice sounded… strange. And he asked for all of you. He said he needed you.”

Blake's eyes widened. "He came back?" Yang whispered.

_Ozpin._

_Ozpin had come back._

Jaune’s stomach curdled, hand cradling his head before he shot out of the dorm.

“Jaune-!” Ruby was already grabbing his arm as Nora and Ren held onto Oscar, Kalen hovering over them unsure of what to do.

He stopped at her voice, fists shaking.

“What is going on here? Did you know about this?!” Cardin demanded, grabbing his arm.

“ _Why are you still here?!”_ Jaune snapped, wrenching it out of his grasp. _“This doesn’t have anything to do with you!”_

“I know you’re angry with them because of their conduct at Beacon.” Jaune nearly choked on his spit at Ianthe’s words. “And you have every right to be so. But becoming angry right now will accomplish nothing-”

“ _You don’t know anything!”_ burst from Jaune, echoing down the hallway.

“Wait wait, back up here! How do you-?” Yang began before freezing. “But then- then THAT’S what Oscar’s been doing?!”

“He’s been talking with CRDL...” Weiss said, brow furrowed. “But why?”

“ _It was my idea!”_

Blake looked at Yamato. “What do you mean?”

“Oscar wanted to understand why you guys were so wary around CRDL, even when they’ve been so nice to us! And we wanted to know why Oscar liked you guys so much even though you’re criminals...”

“So they came t’ us, ‘cause they didn’t want t’ upset you guys,” Russel finished.

“So, that’s why you guys were comfortable with us?” Yang asked in amazement.

“It’s really hard to see you guys as bloodthirsty criminals after the stories we heard,” Rowan admitted with a shrug.

“You guys… are kind of cool, to be around,” Yamato blushed. “Terrorist crimes non-withstanding.”

Jaune felt like he could barely breath, mind racing and swirling with this new information. THAT was why Oscar was with them?! He was… trying to help them by understanding why- and they warmed up to them because of CRDL?!

“Okay seriously, what is wrong with all of you?” Dove was looking at them with genuine anger. “You’ve got that kid tip-toeing around you and trying not to get you pissed… just what the hell is going on here?!”

“The only one in your group with any sense of tact is a fourteen year old… that is beyond sad,” Sky sighed, stern.

“Wait, who says he’s part of their group?” Rowan muttered in disbelief. “If anything, he’s with _us.”_

“And you’ve got that poor kid wary of even talkin’ bad about you guys…” Russel’s eyes narrowed.

Jaune’s insides went cold. This was bad. This was so much worse than he imagined. He screwed up so bad, they all did-!

“You haven’t changed one bit, any of you,” Cardin frowned. “You go around, doing whatever the hell you please without even thinking of the trouble it causes! Don't think I don't know about the docks, or the highway chase, or that bullshit with Mt. Glenn! But everyone else looked the other way or wrote it off because you were _Ozpin's favorites._ And who was gonna say ‘no’ to his favorites?”

Jaune stared in shock at his words, Ruby nearly recoiling- where the hell was this coming from?!

“Hey, we never asked for _that bastard_ to give us special attention!” Yang snapped angrily, fists clenched tightly even as Blake took one of them in her hands.

“Maybe not, but you never needed it before to just bulldoze anything in your way,” Dove growled. “Just look at your little joyride from before!”

“ _We didn’t have a choice!”_ Ruby burst out. _“We tried to get in_ _legally_ _, but the commander held us back out of spite! We didn’t want want to steal, we didn’t want anyone_ _to be hurt_ _, but we_ _needed to get here!”_

Her breath sounded ragged as she tried to calm down, Weiss gripping her shoulder comfortingly. “Wait, what?” Yamato said in surprise, Rowan and Ianthe exchanging glances.

“And what was so important that you decided to risk a whole city to get through?” Sky demanded. _“Do you have any idea how close Argus came to becoming like Beacon_ _because of you_ _?!”_

Jaune’s breath left his body. His plan did this. He did this. He put his family, his friends, innocent people in danger. He could have put someone through what we went through, what so many students went through-!

“We don’t have time for this.” Ruby’s voice shook, head bowed. “Oscar is what matters right now. Please, we just want to help him.”

Cardin’s scowl didn’t falter as he looked at her. “Haven’t you caused him enough trouble?” Ruby flinched. “He sticks up for you, he defends you, even when he feels like he has to hide what he’s doing from you. Why should he have to put up with that from you?”

“Cardin, this is just a misunderstanding. We didn’t know-” Weiss began.

“And whose fault do you think that is?” Dove arched an eyebrow. “Whatever you did, he clearly doesn’t trust you or feel safe enough to be honest with you all.”

“You don’t know everything,” Jaune ground out. “This isn’t what...”

The way Cardin looked at him, irises shrinking against the sclera like he had said something abhorrent or incredible, caused Jaune to trail off.

“Unbelievable. Even after all this time, you still act like you're some victim…!” Cardin took a breath, voice low. “The only reason you became a half decent fighter at Beacon is because of Nikos decided to pick up your slack. The only reason you were able to stay at Beacon is because Ozpin decided to look the other way. The only reason you were even able to come to Beacon is because someone decided you were somehow better qualified than someone else! And I'll bet anything the only reason you're not rotting in a cell right now is because someone else decided to cover your ass."

Jaune flinched at him hitting the nail on the head. “I-”

He didn’t get any further as Cardin jabbed him in the chest, truly angry.

"You NEVER earned your place! You never went through the training, never learned to fight, never even learned about aura! You STOLE someone's future away just because you couldn't put in the effort to try, and you're only here because other people for whatever reason decided to hand things over to you on a silver platter!”

Cardin scoffed out a laugh as he withdrew, spreading his arms. “And you know what? I should've gone to Goodwitch instead of holding it over your head! I should've gone straight to that _bastard of a headmaster_ and asked him what he was thinking letting a fraud like you in over someone actually qualified!"

_"So say it."_

Jaune’s fists clenched tightly, head bowed as he glared at Cardin. "You think it's my fault she died. That if she had someone other than me as a partner, she'd still be here. I know you are and I know you want to! So say it! _SAY IT!"_

_"No."_

He stared in confused disbelief, Cardin’s expression sub-zero. "I'm not gonna feed your complex, or give you the satisfaction. In fact... I'm done. I'm done dealing with all of you.”

At that moment, something inside Jaune _snapped._ He grabbed Cardin’s shoulder before he could get any farther, turning him around and slamming him into the wall, keeping him pinned with one arm clutching his breastplate. He could hear the others exclaim in surprise and Ruby’s sharp “JAUNE!” but he didn’t care.

 _"You don't get to say that! You don't get to do what you did before, what you did to me, what you tried to do to her, and_ _then_ _just brush it all off!"_

“Hey, enough!” Keir barked, grabbing his shoulder but Jaune’s semblance kept him planted.

Cardin didn’t fight back, and that made it even worse as he stood there impassively, letting Jaune shake him. His head bowed as he struggled to hold back tears, too many memories and buried emotions resurfacing at the worst possible time.

"You don't get to do that- _you don't…!”_

“ _ENOUGH!”_

Jaune startled as aniris-purple force field crackled between him and Cardin, nearly knocking him off his feet. He looked back to see Ianthe standing before them, hands extended and shimmering with the same iris-purple light.

“I don’t care what you did to one another, nor what slights you endured in the past,” she growled. _“What matters is Oscar!_ He needs us now, for whatever he is going through! Now you will cease this _at once!”_

“But-”

“ _NO BUTS!”_

At her furious voice, something in Jaune clicked back into it’s proper place. What the hell was he doing? He might still be angry with Ozpin, but he had sworn to support Oscar come what may.

And he had caved the second something had made him upset.

“Kalen. Give me the bandages.” His voice was so much calmer than he felt. “He needs them.”

“Jaune…?” Ruby looked at him with concern.

Kalen looked between the strips of fabric and Jaune, apprehensive but ultimately handing them over, Rowan hovering over him warily. Oscar was shaking against Nora and Ren, eyes wide as he whispered, _“Please, please give them back...”_

“Oscar, it’s gonna be okay,” Jaune murmured gently, kneeling before him and making sure he could see the bandages. “I’m giving them back. Just stay still, okay?”

Oscar stared at him with clear panic and confusion, but seemed to calm down at seeing the bandages. Jaune learned how to wrap injuries and handle bandages at Beacon and Phyrra showed him how to make proper splints while assessing scars. As he gently wrapped the strips of fabric back around his neck, Jaune could see no scar, no blemish anywhere on the skin save a few freckles. Once they were secured, the panic in Oscar’s eyes faded and he slumped forward.

Jaune moved forward to catch him, unsure of whether or not to hug him before the boy’s hands came up to clutch at his coat. His body shook with quiet sobs and his chest twisted in agony. As Jaune held him, he could hear voices outside; he recognized one of them as General Ironwood along with Krishna and Keir. He could hear the other intern students speaking for a brief time. Finally, the door opened and General Ironwood entered with the Intern Students.

He was silent as he looked over the scene; Jaune could feel Oscar’s grip on his coat tighten, trying to quiet his crying. Ruby’s arms tightened around him and Nora and Ren hovered protectively over them.

“… he can spend the night with you. It’s clear that staying like this will cause more harm.”

Jaune stared in surprise, eyes flickering to the kids. “He needs you,” Ianthe said, voice subdued.

“Oscar…?” Ruby said gently, laying a hand over his. “Come on. We won’t leave your side. Promise.”

He didn’t reply but allowed Jaune to help him up, expression shadowed and tear tracks down his face visible- his hand never loosened it’s grip on Jaune’s coat. Nora and Ren hovered over him protectively. Weiss, Blake and Yang kept their distance as so not to crowd Oscar. CRDL remained where they were, Cardin’s upper expression shadowed, Russel watching them curiously and Dove and Sky looking at Oscar with concern.

They made it to their room without incident. Oscar shook when the door closed, breath hitching with another sob from where he clutched onto Jaune.

“I’m sorry.” He sounded so small, voice shaking and hoarse from crying. “I-”

Jaune hugged him as gently as he dared. “None of this is your fault. It’s ours. I said you were one of us, but made you feel like you had to sneak around us, made you feel unsafe-”

“What…?” Oscar raised his head, tears visible but expression more confused. “What are you talking about? Why would I feel- Wait, is this about Argus? I know that-”

Jaune tried to control his breathing, keeping his grip on Oscar light enough as so not to make him nervous. “You shouldn’t have had to feel like you had to apologize or make things up to us! You didn’t do anything wrong, and I made you feel like you had!”

Ruby took his hand. “It wasn’t just you,” she cupped Oscar face, finger gently wiping a tear track away. “We’re all responsible for you, and still pushed something you didn’t do on your shoulders.”

Oscar frowned softly. “That’s not true. You were all rattled from what we found out. So was I. I know you guys aren’t like that.”

“ _It doesn't make what we did okay!”_ Nora exclaimed.

“You’re our friend, and we failed you in Argus,” Ren said solemnly.

Jaune’s hand rested against his cheek so he could look him in the eyes.“I didn’t avoid you because I was angry, I did it because I was afraid I’d act like I did in Argus. I didn’t want to do anything I’d regret to you again, and I was afraid my temper would get out of hand.”

Relief flickered on Oscar’s features and it made his chest twist again. “They bullied you, didn’t they? Of course you’d feel unsafe around them.”

“… I forged my transcripts.”

Ruby froze and Nora and Ren looked at him surprise at him saying this aloud. “What…?” Oscar stared at him in confusion and surprise.

“I forged my transcripts in order to get into Beacon. Cardin found out and he and the rest of his team blackmailed me. One of the things they had me do was try to throw red sap on my partner so she’d get attacked by wasps.”

Oscar leaned forward with sympathy, gripping his arm gently. “I’m sorry they did that to you.”

“I just want you to understand why I’m wary around them. If you still want to talk with them, it’s okay. But I’m still gonna be wary and it’ll take time for me to be okay it.”

Oscar nodded, expression becoming solemn. “Oscar, what’s wrong?” Nora asked. “Please, we just- we didn’t know what was going on earlier and… you disappearing without a word _really_ scared us...”

"... my mom and dad… it’s the anniversary of their death.”

He gripped Jaune and Ruby’s hands tighter. “We ran into a grimm- I only just found it was a Keres. It caught us… it made me see my head-”

A sharp shudder went through him and his head bowed. “You don’t have to tell us this if-” Ren began.

“They both died from heart attacks, they couldn’t take the stress of being shown them dying. That’s why I lived with my Auntie Do.” His hands came up to touch the bandages. “She helped me work through it.”

“It never really hit me, until now. I’m on a completely different continent than her now. I’m not with her anymore. I miss her. I missed her before, but it’s worse now. I wasn’t even able to say goodbye, all I could do was leave her a note. Now she's all alone and... I'm here. I won’t even be able to be with her when I turn fifteen-!”

His body shook and Jaune hugged him tighter. He couldn’t say he felt the same about his parents, but he could understand his homesickness. Ruby gently touched his forehead with her own, eyes solemn.

“I had to leave my family like that to come to Haven. It’s not the same as what you did, but… I know how hard is to leave without saying goodbye.”

Oscar sniffled a bit, sighing into her embrace. Jaune wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that before Oscar’s breathing eased and became more relaxed and he eventually fell asleep. Ruby’s smile was pained and she curled the blankets around him, propping a pillow up so he was comfortable.

As Ruby curled up against her pillows and blankets, tucking Oscar in quietly, Jaune decided now was the best time to tell her.

“Ruby… I know about you and Oscar’s plans.”

Ruby froze, turning back to him with wide eyes. “I-”

“What do you mean?” Ren asked.

“What plans?” Nora cocked an eyebrow.

Ruby sighed. “Oscar and I… are trying to bring Ozpin back and hash things out. Oscar’s been able to talk with him, and it’s starting to work. We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you guys and patch things up.”

Nora and Ren exchanged glances and Jaune remained silent. Having confirmation that Ozpin was out and about where only Oscar could talk to him made him remember Yang’s concern. But from how Ruby looked at him, she knew how he felt.

“I know you guys are angry and you have every right to be. I’m still angry too. But-”

“But if we don’t work together, then we’re done for,” Ren finished with a frown. “If we do nothing, then Salem will just hurt more and more people. We need to make a plan and the best way to do that is to have Ozpin back.”

“You’re right about us being angry, but I still want to be able to get through this,” Nora admitted. “If I went through what he did… I don’t know how I’d be able to talk about this either. But things have to change. We can’t bring people into this without them knowing everything.”

They were looking at him. Cardin and the woman from Argus’ words ringing in his mind. He could still remember how she held him, the feeling of her lips against his. Qrow had said they had given her a choice, but Jaune knew Phyrra; the moment they had asked her to help others, Phyrra would agree even if she was afraid, even if she was out-matched, even if she wasn’t ready.

“… I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for roping Phyrra into this. But I promised I would support Oscar no matter what, and I still plan on doing that,” Jaune said resolutely.

His hands clenched. “When I learned why Phyrra was... I was so angry at them all. I still am. But… she chose not to tell us. We could have helped her if she just told us… but she didn’t. And… If I’m going to hold him accountable for what he did… I have to hold her accountable too.”

His hand scratched the back of his head. “And… I can’t exactly call him out for lying to people without remembering I did the same to get into Beacon.”

The look of relief on Ruby’s face made his chest clench. “Thank you guys,” before blushing at him. “I guess you overheard us the first night in Atlas, huh?”

“I didn’t mean to.” He smiled hesitantly. “I’m surprised no one else heard.”

“What if they did?” Nora asked. “Maybe Blake overheard- I mean, she has four ears! Or Yang or Weiss could have!”

“Weiss didn’t. I already told and she agreed to help.”

“So the only ones who don’t know are Blake, Yang and Qrow,” Ren deduced. "Well, Yang and Blake overheard what Ianthe had said before..."

“Ozpin doesn't know either.”

_Wait what?_

“Oscar said he was in denial, and repressing how he was feeling. Oscar feels that if he knew what we were doing, he’d just fight back harder. He even rationalized our actions after Jinn’s story ended, saying that it could have been worse...”

“… he’s not wrong, but...” Ren said in disbelief.

“Aw geez; this really is a mess, isn’t it...” Nora groaned.

“Let’s talk about it in the morning. I think we all really need the sleep.” Jaune knew he wasn’t going to be able to think anymore until tomorrow, not after the sheer whirlwind of emotions and revelations this past evening.

Despite the beds being there, Jaune ended up curling next to Ruby over Oscar, Nora and Ren following suit after.

* * *

“I’m glad we could reach an agreement.”

“I must say, this is… certainly a change in attitude.”

“After the attack on my home by the Hoods, it’s clear to me that having my son and heir know how to defend himself against our enemies would be best.”

“And whose fault is that again?”

“I’d watch how you speak to me, two seats or not. If anything happens to my son, I will know who to blame...”

* * *

So this was mammoth of a chapter by sheer accident; I didn’t realize just how much I packed into this until I began revising ^^; Still, it means I’ve got a lot to work with!

I have some ideas for Blake’s upgraded Gambol Shroud and for Ren’s Stormflower; I found some pictures of an improved Gambol Shroud on tumblr, but the one that I’m sticking with is this one: <https://miki-13.tumblr.com/post/183593688753/hammertime-rwby-yesterday-y8ay8a-posted-a>

We’ll be getting more in-depth with the faunus and SDC soon; in fact, Ianthe’s brought a brief but disturbing glance into what the faunus of Atlas go through.

Jaune, Ruby, I love you both… but Cardin’s Reason You Suck Speeches are basically all my problems with you verbalized. I don’t hate either of you, but I need you to understand that your actions- however benevolent- have consequences, and you can’t just steam-roll your way like this.

This chapter was really different before; before, Jaune and Ruby would have trailed Oscar and learned of his conversations with CRDL. Jaune would get really angry and give Oscar the cold shoulder before blowing up at him. Oscar would get angry right back, but keep calmer with the Intern Students defending him in the meantime. This would put a rift between them until Oscar’s panic attack.

Cardin… has issues. Actually, a lot of the personality and conversations I had CRDL do are based on their interactions and mind sets in “Redemption”, a superb story centering around the titular team. It’s complete with 42 chapters and I’m unsure if there’s going to be a sequel. Nevertheless, it’s a fascinating character study of CRDL and I really hope if they are featured, it’ll be something similar to that. They’ve got a hell of a lot of potential as changed people, and I wanted to explore that here; Oscar’s presence is what gives them a chance to shine.

Keres are Greek death spirits- specifically of violent and painful death- known for sucking the blood from those dying before dragging them down into the Underworld, and are personifications of epidemic deaths. The idea for them also causing death illusions and Oscar’s bandages came from a post suggesting he shared inspiration with the titular character of “The Green Ribbon.”

Basically, there was a girl named Jenny who had a green ribbon around her neck. Her friend, Alfred, asked her why she wore it and all she ever said was “You have to wait and see”. Eventually, the two got married but Jenny never once took off the green ribbon. When she grew sick and the doctor said she was dying, Jenny finally let Alfred undo the green ribbon… and Jenny’s head fell off.

Yeah. That was a thing.

I personally love the trans! Oscar headcanons and if that turns out to be canon within RWBY, that’d be so cool. That’s why I only explained the bandages around his neck rather than the rest, in case this does end up becoming a thing. I’ve seen so many people theorizing what Oscar’s bandages are hiding- from scars to tattoos- and I thought, “What if there’s nothing there and their existence is purely for psychological reasons? It’d be scary as hell, that’s for sure!” and thus the Keres were born.

(LE GASP!) Is that actual plot at the end?! Yes it is!

Okay… serious stuff time now.

I wish I could say things are going okay. They’re not. Last month when my family went to my grandmother’s to celebrate Mother’s Day, we couldn’t get a response n the phone. We ended up having to break in through a window when we got to her house.

I found her bleeding from a head wound, where she had slipped in the bathtub, and where she had been since the previous night according to my aunts who had talked with her before.

We brought her to the nearest hospital. She did better for a few days and we were able to visit her. She was on life support and happy to see us all and was very much her normal self… but her last wishes were that she not be placed on life support if something like this happened. So she was taken off.

She died six days later.

I… I’m still in shock. I still can’t believe she’s really gone, and so abruptly. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it. I’m never going to see her again. Never talk with her, never visit her, never show her my art, ever again. There are times that those facts will hit me out of nowhere and I can barely function remembering that.

Even worse, at her memorial, my biological mother whom few to none of my immediate family is on speaking terms with, showed up uninvited. I couldn’t even mourn her properly with _that woman_ in the vicinity.

On top of that, when I went running, I tripped and fell hard on some stone steps. Aside from a few bruises, I’m fine. However, I suffered a sprain and a fracture in my left hand. It’s not in as much pain as it was before, but it’s still hampering a lot of my ability to do things, especially typing: I never knew I typed more with my left hand than my right until now. I’m lucky I had a lot of the main outline for this chapter already written and just needed to fine-tune things.

Basically, this last month and a half has been a roller-coaster of anger, frustration, pain, depression, grief and anxiety for me and my family. But working on this chapter, remembering RWBY, my friends on tumblr (The Rosebuds: myself, Littlemisssquiggles, Lookyekiti/Lythecreatorart, Che1sea Xiao-Long, Nykamito-X, Cloudburst- Paint-Water and Beaver-sen) and our art has been the only thing keeping me going through this. It’s what’s been keeping me smiling, keeping me productive.

So thank you. All of you.

Edited 8/31/2019

I always had the idea of the Intern Students dragging Oscar around Atlas, but with the way things were in the first draft, they wouldn’t get the chance. As for the kittens they found, this based on the Steven Universe Episode “Pool Hopping” as well as Squiggles Pinehead Headcanon of Oscar having a Somali kitten named “Fox”. And even better… you just got a glimpse of the special power Oscar has crackling to life.

Also thanks to Oscar bunking with the Intern Students here, they witnessed Ozpin come back however briefly. This will serve to tie them a bit closer to the plot.


	14. Chapter 14

“ _Rise and shine.”_

_Oscar blinked his eyes open, rubbing the sleep from them as he yawned. Dad ruffled his hair gently to wake him up further, pine green eyes warm and the feeling of the orange leather gloves against his head soothing._

_It was still hard getting used to waking up so early, but Oscar knew it was all part of being on the farm. In fact, he was more excited than annoyed; he was doing important work with his family after all!_

_Mom was downstairs, plucking the feathers of a duck and a bit of blood on her cheek, green belts wrapped loosely around her wrists. She grinned at seeing them come down, gold and amber eyes shinning. “Morning munchkin!”_

* * *

_He had seen bugs like that, but it towered over them, it’s long neck contorting and twisting, head with long grimy gray hair cocked to the side. It’s bangs parted, revealing a pure white mask with red markings like a smile, eyes red and glowing like coal._

“ _Orville, take Oscar and run!” Mom gripped the rifle, eyes hard and hands trembling._

“ _Phyllis-!”_

_It’s spiderweb wings fluttered, the noise making his teeth grit and his hair stand up on end. Mom fired but the vibrations kept the bullets from piercing it’s hide at full power. She shouted back but the noise drowned out her words, the tailwind whipping their hair back-_

* * *

_He heard her scream a few minutes later, and it didn’t stop. It rose in pitch-_

* * *

_It’s eyes glowed brightly, dad’s eyes going blank the longer their gazes were held. Oscar was frozen as his screams rent the air, unable to look away-_

* * *

_He was kneeling, hands tied behind his back. He could hear so many voices calling out it became a roar. He felt something cold and sharp touch his neck once, twice. He only had time to look up to see an ax come down-_

* * *

“Oscar. _Oscar!”_

“C’mon wake up, please!”

His eyes flew open, hands covering his mouth on impulse whenever he had that dream. Unlike before, it had been stopped before the end. Ren and Nora stood over him, eyes concerned from where the former had shaken him awake and the latter hovering over him. His eyes flickered around, the room coming into view. Jaune and Ruby had fallen over on their pillows, sound asleep.

_Oh. Right._

The images of that old nightmare still flickered in his mind, but were duller and more disjointed than before, the sting of terror and confusion less biting.

_Oz?_

Nothing.

Oscar frowned in confusion; he usually was the first one to greet him. Was it the nightmare keeping him-

“We still have nightmares too,” Ren said quietly.

_!_

“We know we didn’t go through what you did,” Nora’s hand gently brushed some of his bangs away, “but we know how hard it is losing your family.”

He remained silent, not trusting himself to speak as he curled next to them. Ren laid a hand on his back, rubbing in circular motions while Nora hugged them together, letting his head rest on her chest as she smoothed his hair back. The panic and fear from before slowly but surely ebbed away, eventually becoming relaxed enough that his eyes grew heavy again.

* * *

_Auntie Do was beside him when he woke up. Her arms felt warm and wet- slick with sweat- around him._

* * *

_He knew what had happened to mom and dad as soon as he asked, her face twisting in anguish despite her trying to keep her composure._

* * *

_He hadn’t cried, not until he woke up with his head hanging over the bed from where he shifted. The images the Keres had put in his mind, the sensations, his head bouncing into the basket-_

* * *

_Auntie Do wrapped the handkerchief around his neck. The pressure against his skin, like a secure binding, grounded him in his panic._

“ _There we go. It won’t fall off now.”_

* * *

_swish_

Oscar blinked awake at the sound of the door opening. His eyes flickered up from Ren and Nora’s embrace, unwilling to move. Keir, Krishna and Kalen were standing at the front, holding some trays.

“Food!” Nora exclaimed in delight and grabbed the tray Kalen was holding.

“Huh…?” Ruby mumbled, stirring awake as Jaune yawned. “What time is it…?”

Oscar’s eyes flickered to the clock; **9** **:** **4** **3 AM.** Dread immediately filled his stomach, realizing they were late for classes. The panic from before was starting to return he had no idea how he was going to make it through-

“It’s Saturday- no classes.” Krishna’s voice was gentle.

“And the food?” At Jaune’s question, Nora hugged her tray protectively to her with a scowl.

“… that’s on us.” Krishna smiled.

Oscar felt his stomach uncoil a bit; he didn’t know how he was going to get through the lessons. Thank gods it was the weekend.

“Sooo...” Kalen trailed off, eyes flickering to Oscar. “Are you…?”

* * *

Oscar, breath. You need to breath.

Oscar, listen to me. You’re going to be okay.

Oscar, what do you need me to do to help you?

I’m sorry Oscar; I swear to you, this will only be for a moment.

“ _Ruby- Jaune- Nora- Ren- he needs- I need them-!”_

* * *

Ozpin came back. He spoke to Ianthe and the others, and they got Ruby and everyone. They helped him. They made him feel better. His throat clogged, head ducking down as his eyes burned.

“Right. Stupid question.” Kalen shuffled. “Um… look, if you need anything, we’re... not going anywhere, okay?”

“Thank you.” Ren’s hand was back on his back, letting him rest his head on his shoulder.

Everyone was silent and Oscar was glad for it. Even thinking was too much effort and he was content to just be where he was, surrounded by the ones who cared for him. He was able to eat a bit but remained where he was, resting between Nora and Ren. His eyes grew heavier the longer he remained where he was, and he slowly but surely drifted off again…

* * *

Weiss yawned, arms stretching out before her fingertips grazed the walls. Odd; she felt more rested than usual. She looked down in time to see Blake and Yang by the door, Keir handing them three trays.

… _this is a change of pace._

“How is…?” Yang trailed off.

“He’s resting right now,” Keir said gently. “Your friends are watching over him.”

Weiss’ eyes closed with relief at their words. “If you need anything, we’ll be right outside.”

“Thanks. Seriously.” Yang smiled.

Keir nodded, the door closing shut a moment later. For a few minutes, there’s no talk between the three of them as they got ready. As Weiss fixed her shawl, the door opened up revealing Ruby and Jaune. Yang quickly pulled Ruby into a hug, Blake setting a hand on Jaune’s shoulder: both looked terrible.

“Nora and Ren have Oscar. They’re looking after him now.”

Weiss nodded to Jaune; if anyone could empathize with what Oscar went through, it was those two. “I’m glad you were able to find him in time,” Yang sighed before becoming serious. "Has... Ozpin come back since?"

"No..." Ruby said before rubbing the back of her head, "but it's not the first time he's been here." 

"What?" Blake said in surprise before Yang exclaimed in worry and disbelief (and Ruby was relieved there was less anger), "He's taken control of him before?!" 

 _“This was the only time and it was only because of Oscar's panic attack!”_ Ruby swallowed, trying to keep her tears back. “If he hadn’t talked to the Intern Students, _I don’t know what would have happened_ _to Oscar_ _…!”_

Jaune set a hand on her shoulder, expression just as pained. Yang’s frown softened, stepping backwards to lean against the bunkbed. Weiss looked to Ruby; from Jaune’s conduct here, it was clear he knew of their plan, and if he knew then Ren and Nora more than likely did as well. 

"Will you let me explain, Yang?!"

"I wish you would!"

Weiss watched Blake and Yang carefully as Ruby explained the plan, and how Jaune had overheard them during it. Blake’s ears flickered a bit, realization apparent, while Yang’s expression was more neutral, anger melting as she nodded to some points while looking contemplative.

“Has he said anything about making a plan?" Yang asked once Ruby had finished. "Or at least talking things out?”

Ruby shook her head. “Oscar’s trying to coax him out, so we can talk proper. But he’s worried if Oz knew about what we’re doing, he’d withdraw altogether again.”

“So he can tell when Ozpin is there or not then?” Blake’s ears flicked a bit.

“Yeah: they’re both a lot more in tune with each other from what Oscar told me last. He knows if he’s there or not, and can even feel what he feels at times.”

“Does this mean the Merge is getting closer?”

Ruby looked away. “… I don’t know.”

Yang’s brow furrowed as Blake frowned and averted her eyes, hands balled into fists. They remained like this for at least a minute.

“….I….”

Blake faltered for a moment before swallowing. “… I can understand why he’s done what he’s done. What we he went through, because of Salem... it reminded me so much of what I went through with… with Adam. _"_

Yang stiffened before her eyes close tightly while Ruby placed a hand on her shoulder. Blake’s fingers dug into her skin just shy of drawing blood but visibly forced herself to keep talking.

"I thought he had been 'spite' before... but Salem just upstaged him completely. I can't imagine what she's put him through, and he can't _even-!"_

_"He can't even kill her so she'll leave him alone."_

Weiss hesitated, unsure of whether or not to reach out to Blake, in fear of startling her.

Of course Blake would have empathy for what he had gone through: both had been manipulated by partners who chose to go down a dark path and were hurt for trying to escape from them. The differences was that Blake had been able to break free and end Adam’s reign of terror. Ozpin had had to contend with Salem for _thousands of years._

“… dammit.”

Yang’s head ducked down, expression torn between frustration and upset. “Yang?” Ruby looked concerned.

She took a breath, sighing for a moment. “I’m okay. Her smile became wry. “You were always trying to get us to act like a team and help us out with our problems, and Oscar still stayed even after what happened and tried to make us feel better… so, this sounds like something you two would try.”

Her smile fell off, hand resting against her head.

“ _Of course_ he’d be wary of telling people the whole truth. _H_ _e did it once and it got_ _him and his kids_ _killed._ And he already said that Lionheart wasn’t the first person who betrayed him either...” She gave a short scoff.

Blake placed her hand on Yang’s shoulder. “No one is saying you don’t have a right to be angry. Salem needs to be stopped even if she can’t be killed, but we deserve to know what we're going up against, and so did everyone who’s ever worked with him.”

Her brow furrowed. “Not telling us about the relic wasn’t just dishonest, it was incredibly dangerous and, frankly, _stupid_. We could have made a plan, we had the time; what if we hadn’t been as lucky as we were on the train? What if he tries to hide something as important as that again and it puts more people at risk?”

“ _Exactly!”_ Yang’s fist fell into her palm. “I get he wouldn’t want to tell us about his past, but the least he could have done was give us what we need to _get shit done!_ For all we know, him keeping this stuff secret might have made things harder for him to fight her! We can’t go off on blind faith alone, and _we shouldn’t have to!_ We’re in this for the rest of our lives and beyond: t _he least he could do was tell us what we were in for!”_

She sighed, brow furrowed. “We’re all on the same side. This shouldn’t be so _difficult.”_

Ruby frowned sadly. “You’re right. It shouldn’t. But it is, and we have to deal with it.”

Weiss’ eyes closed. She was right: they were all united to fight against an immortal witch hell-bent on destroying their world so she could remake it in her image and play god. But as Jinn had showed them, it really wasn’t that simple. Not to mention that fear could turn a good heart, as shown with Lionheart.

“So, how did Nora and Ren take it?” Yang looked to Jaune.

“Pretty well, actually. We’re all in agreement: we need to talk and make things better for us.”

“Can we?” Blake frowned. “Would Ozpin even talk with any of us after this? And even if we did… I don’t think he’d trust us ever again.”

“That’s why Oscar’s trying to talk to him.” Ruby’s arms spread as she continued. “We just need to tell him we want to make things better. We still want to fight and we understand that even if his actions weren’t okay, we empathize with him and want to help him and we still want to fight.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Blake’s hand gestured out with a grimace. “He clearly has severe trust issues if he didn’t even tell Qrow, who’s supported him this whole time for years already, about the relic or the gods’ plans. He’s displayed signs of paranoia, PTSD and is clearly very afraid of trusting others completely; even Oscar, and _he’s his host._ Even if we do coax him back out and we work together, what’s to stop him from slipping back into that?”

“… guess this is as good a time as any.”

Yang reached for under her pillow and pulled out a few books for them. Weiss blinked in surprise at her finally showing the books she had been reading in secret before.

“’Trauma and Recovery’. ‘How-To Guide for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’?” Jaune looked over the covers, brow furrowed with confusion.

“’Pistanthrophobia’…?” Ruby sounded out with difficulty. “The fear of trusting others due to betrayal...”

“Yang, what are these books?” Blake looked over the cover of “Anxiety and You”.

Yang sighed, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. “This is gonna sound weird… I’m trying to psychoanalyze everyone.”

One could hear a pin drop from the silence that followed.

“WHAT.” Ruby’s shoulders drooped, jaw dropped in disbelief.

“I have several questions,” Jaune finally got out.

“Yang, what brought this on?” Blake’s ears flicked.

“Dad got some books on this stuff after the Fall of Beacon, because I didn’t want to see anyone. So he did his best to get me through that. I only leafed through them, but some stuff still stuck with me.” She gave a short sigh. “Anyways after Oscar came back with Ironwood and we… talked, I started thinking over things.”

Yang’s hand trembled for a moment before it stilled, taking a breath. “Guys, we’ve been through some shit. Even before the Fall of Beacon. And we’re going to keep going through shit. I just… want to try and find a way to help all of us get through this. But I have no idea what I’m doing, so I’m beating these books for answers. For all of us.”

Blake’s eyes widened in surprise and she looked ready to protest but then stopped. Weiss frowned: of course they would experience hardship, they were huntresses. They had each other, so they would be-

* * *

“ _The only reason I paid you even a moment’s attention was for the company!”_

* * *

_Burning pain_

_Can’t breath_

_Everything going dark_

* * *

_Cold_

_Dead_

_Withered_

_How-?!_

* * *

“Weiss.”

Her eyes shot open, her hands had already moved to clutch her side. Ruby and Blake stood on either side of her, eyeing her with clear concern.

“You’re the one who said it was okay not to be okay.” Yang looked at her with a sad smile.

Weiss gave a sardonic smile wiping a beading tear away. She did, didn’t she.

“… you’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would,” Ruby remarked and the relief on her face made Weiss’ chest ache.

Ruby had been worried about how her sister and Blake would take it and Weiss didn’t blame her after Jinn’s story. But both had clearly been thinking things over, just as they were supposed to coming here, and they were on board.

“What about you, Jaune?” Yang looked to him with concern. “Are you okay with this? Even after…?”

“… I’m still angry too,” Jaune admitted. “But I promised to support Oscar, and that’s what I’m going to do.” He looked to Ruby. “You’ve always known how to keep us going forward, so I trust you.”

* * *

Well.

This was certainly not how Whitley thought he would be spending his time.

Ironwood kept droning on how this was unorthodox but that they would be bunking together regardless and Whitley tuned him out minutes ago. The three students (And apparently there were four- so that was just _really_ what Whitley needed) were still staring between him and the man with a kind of wide-eye incredulity that would have been amusing if he were a third party witnessing it.

He recognized the three, if vaguely; related to some the many, _many_ families who had fought in the Great War. Honestly, there were so many of them he couldn’t be expected to keep track. Ugh, and he was supposed to share this sad excuse for a room with these… _children?!_ (Never mind that he only turned sixteen a few months ago; it was the principal of the thing.)

“… understood, headmaster,” The girl intoned, and he could practically _feel_ her dissatisfaction- well, they were both in the same boat.

The moment the door closed behind them, Whitley was quickly hit with just how ridiculous this situation was. The three students gave him a wide berth as he set his suitcases down near his bed, hands shaking from the strain (Because he apparently wasn’t allowed even a single valet for his troubles; what kind of place was this?!)

“Sooo, we’re gonna go; let you… settle in.” The tallest with the afro all but scooped the boy and girl up and shot out the door.

Well, they clearly weren’t happy to have him; well, that was fine. Whitley wasn’t happy to have them either. At least he’d be able to enjoy the solitude for however long it lasted (Hopefully a good, long while if their dissatisfaction ran as deep as his.)

As he moved to open suitcase with his clothes, the case inside fell out, the gun inside clattered against the ground.

“ **Meow~”**

Whitley startled at the noise, elbow and foot knocking the bed frame and sending him sprawling against the canopy. He struggled briefly in the fabric before righting himself as he panted for breath, trying to calm his nerves (And he was so glad no one was around to see that) before down at the fox-like kitten now sniffing the firearm.

Well, this was just _fantastic._

“What are you looking at?” Whitley scowled when it cocked it’s head at him.

The fur-ball only meowed again before trying to rub against his leg. “H-hey!” he yelped, trying to get away from it before pointing accusingly at it. “These pants are worth a hundred- wait, no- a t _housand_ _times_ more than what it takes to feed you!”

“ **Meow~”**

“… And now I’m talking to a cat.”

Whitley’s eye twitched before he gave an aggravated sigh, hand clutching at his hair for a moment before moving to put away the contents that had spilled from behind the canopy.

“ _The Girl In The Tower?”_ He scoffed, looking over the worn book. _What are they, four?_

Once put back into place, Whitley returned his attention to picking up the firearm. The weapon felt heavy, cold and unfamiliar in his hands.

Honestly, why did those huntsmen feel the need to carry such absurd weapons when all they needed was _this?_ One motion, one finger and… that was it.

* * *

_A hand clamped down firmly over his mouth, cutting off his air. His eyes flew open too a figure standing over him before he felt something cold and sharp dig into his neck-_

* * *

Whitley swallowed the dry lump in his throat, hands shaking as they traced the side of his neck even though he knew the scrape had already healed.

_Damn Hoods; first the White Fang, now them..._

“ **Mrrow~”**

He flinched at the kitten licking at his hand and jerked it away with a glare. It’s bright green eyes blinked curiously at him but Whitley refused to indulge the little beast as he put away the firearm proper.

He knew of father’s enemies and how many he had, and while he understood in his mind that being heir meant being in danger from them as well… he never actually thought that...

It was probably that new business partner of his that suggested this absurd idea, Whitley eventually realized bitterly. Why did they even need him here? Father had the money, he could have easily hired better bodyguards; he didn’t need to be here! And the last thing he wanted right now was to be around…

He sighed. There was no use wondering what went through father’s head at this point. All that mattered was obeying his will; it was the most straightforward, painless path there was. If Winter and Weiss had understood that, perhaps they still would have had a place in their family.

_As always, it falls to me to cater to father’s will..._

“Have you settled in proper, Master Whitley?”

His chest tightened at the robotic, emotionless voice behind him but pushed it down. “Yes.” He rose to his feet, the room quickly becoming claustrophobic. “I think I’ll take a walk, see what this… _school_ has to offer.”

“ **Mreow~”**

“And keep _that thing_ from following us- _me!”_

* * *

Oscar blinked awake; Nora had fallen over aside, still snoring while Ren was still leaning beside him. His hands came up to rest against his neck, sighing with relief at feeling the bandages safe and secured around. His jacket had fallen from his shoulders a bit ago, crumpled around him.

The clock read **10:23 AM.**

Well, he wasn’t going to be getting anymore sleep; if anything, he felt a bit restless. Oscar debated waking Ren and Nora up, or returning to his dorm to let the others know he was okay, but at the moment… he just wanted to be alone in his thoughts.

After hanging up his jacket carefully, Oscar took a piece of notebook paper and wrote down a small note saying he would be going for a walk. He was relieved that there were few students about; then again from what the others talked about in their days at Beacon, most were either relaxing, studying or out in the city-

“ _Ack!”_

Oscar startled at the high-pitched yelp as he barely avoiding a flailing of limbs from the body he had walked into.

It was a rather tall boy he wasn’t sure the age of, but his facial features and hair and eye color reminded him distinctly of Weiss. He looked so startled before his eyes settled on Oscar, quickly resuming a haughty posture. But Oscar could see dark circles under his eyes, how tightly he was clutching one hand behind his back, how despite being rigid, his foot was tapping- also was that orange fur on the hem?

“Are you okay?”

He blinked at the question before turning his nose up at him, eyes disdainful. “Aside from you slamming into me? Or was that your attempt at an apology?”

“Look, I-”

“And who exactly are you supposed to be anyways?” Oscar nearly startled at the wide-eyed look the other boy gave him as he looked him over. “Visiting family at this oh-so prestigious school? Or are you an errand boy hoping for a tip?”

“Actually, I’m-”

“Not that I care,” the boy cut him off blandly. “I’ll accept your apology any time now.”

“Okay. Sorry I bumped into you,” Oscar conceded. “Are you okay?”

The boy stared at him, shocked for a moment before irritation crossed his features. “Don’t you have anything to say other than that? Or do you think being polite will spare you from others’ harshness?”

Oscar frowned. “I’m just asking because I’m concerned. You don’t need to be rude.”

“That’s rich coming from the imbecile who ran into me first.”

“I already apologized; what more do you want from me?”

The boy looked genuinely contemplative at that and Oscar stared with incredulity; just who was this boy, and what made him act this way?

“Master Whitley. Do you wish to remove him?”

A girl with black visor, uniform and wide-rim hat, over orange hair and freckles dotting fair skin stood over him. There was something very strange about her; her movements and manner of speaking were almost mechanical and her face was a perfect blank slate.

“So if you’re done wasting my time, I’ll be on my way. Come Pen-Penninah,” Whitley said coldly, moving past him.

“Of course, Master Whitley.”

… _w_ _ell, that happened,_ Oscar sweat-dropped as the two moved past him.

Winter, Weiss, Whitley; he was more than certain that boy was Weiss’ family. But from his clothes and general antsiness, Oscar didn’t know what to make of him, aside from he was a total brat with a lot of pent-up… something.

Well if there was an upside to this, Oscar was feeling a bit better than he was earlier. But now, he needed answers. A few minutes later, he arrived at the office- he hesitated knocking for a moment before steeling his nerves.

“Enter.”

The voice was far hoarser and more tired than he remembered and Oscar wished Oz was here- he didn’t trust himself to speak to the man alone.

General Ironwood set his scroll down on his desk, the circles under his eyes more pronounced. “Oscar.” He smiled, tired as he set down his scroll.

“Um, hello...”

“Are you all right?”

Oscar grimaced; he _really_ didn’t want to be reminded of what happened. “I’m better, sir,” he admitted before adding, “The others helped me get through it. But, that’s not why I’m here- I ran into someone on the way here… his name is Whitley?”

General Ironwood’s eyes closed in exasperation for a moment. “His father had him transferred here to learn self-defense in the aftermath of the attack on his home. I couldn’t say no, not after he made a rather... public donation to the school. He will be staying with you and the Intern students.”

Well, that explained things. But now Oscar had more questions:

Oscar wondered if he was keeping his distance after last night. He had taken control and while Oscar was apprehensive after Haven and the train crash, this had been to get help when he was in the midst of a panic attack.

“And what of Ozpin? He came out last night.”

“He’s… he locked himself away again. I’ve been alone since this morning.”

General Ironwood’s brow creased and Oscar could see he was fighting anger from showing on his face. He looked even worse than when Oscar first met him, if that were possible.

“When he comes back, tell him we need to talk. He can’t keep doing this.”

Oscar startled a bit by the order, now feeling apprehensive again. “R-Right...”

His brow furrowed, the question on his tongue. “General, what’s going to happen to the others? They can’t stay here forever-”

“That is not your concern. They broke the law-”

“ _And so did I!”_ Oscar burst out; he was so sick of everyone assuming he was just an innocent and naive child in all of this! Even if he was, he was still one the team and did his part!

“We did everything we could to get in legally; we even tried to escort Weiss back home! But we were locked out because the commander was prejudiced against Blake!” His eyes narrowed in anger. “Actually, the blockade you set up in the first place made everything even more difficult! If it weren’t for that, we would have been able to get the relic over to Atlas without any problems!

“… tell me, do you know how the world has seen Atlas since the Fall of Beacon?”

General Ironwood’s voice was cold as ice. “One of our best huntresses was destroyed and her existence put our operation into question. Our soldiers and mechas were seen attacking innocent people. Do you know how many people want Atlas razed for attacking at the Vytal Festival?”

He loomed over Oscar, eyes dangerous.

“ _We are on the brink of war; and you suggest I leave my home open to invasion, to attack from others?”_

Oscar’s blood was cold, and any retort he had was stripped away. General Ironwood’s face softened as he rubbed at his temple. “I apologize. You’re still so young.”

“But I’m not stupid,” he said defiantly.

“No, you aren’t.” He sighed, exhausted and eyes far away.

Oscar grimaced, eyes averting. “… how are Qrow and Maria?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

Oscar fought to press forward, but the look in the man’s eyes was putting him further on edge. Oscar backed away to the door before almost slamming it shut in is haste to leave. What could he do now? They were all but trapped here and now even he couldn’t leave. Not only that, but it was clear that Ironwood was-

“- not gonna happen. Seriously!”

“If not us, then _just her,_ okay?!”

“Rowan-”

“Please just stop. This isn’t going to work out.”

“Um, what’s going on out here?”

“ _WHERE’D HE GO?!”_

Oscar jumped at Nora’s yell and quickly turned the corner to see Nora shaking Kalen as Ren tried to calm her down while the Intern Students sweat-dropped. “Uh...” he began and Ruby looked up to meet his gaze. _“Oscar!”_

The next moment, Oscar found himself scooped into a tight hug as Nora’s momentum spun them both around. Jaune quickly caught them both before they fell over. “Didn’t you see my note?” he wheezed, trying to catch his breath.

“We did,” Ren said over Nora’s wail, _“I was worried siiiick!”_ and helped him back up, “We’re glad to see you back.”

Oscar would have nodded but he was too dizzy at the moment and gripping Jaune’s arm to steady himself before his other hand settled against his back to help him. “Hey,” he said with a tentative smile that Oscar returned.

“Good to see you up.” Yang ruffled his hair with a smile.

“Did you sleep well?” Weiss hovered over him.

“We’ve got the whole day to ourselves, so don’t worry about anything today.” Blake’s hand settled on his other shoulder.

Oscar’s words were stolen away; they were all here, looking after him. A small smile spread on his face.

“So, what’re you guys doing here? Checking up on Oscar?” Nora asked the Intern Students.

The three shuffled a bit before Rowan and Yamato actually bowed on their hands and knees. “Pleaseletusbunkwithyouguys!” before Rowan added, “Or at least let Ia!”

… Oscar had several questions.

“Not that we’re not flattered and really, _really_ confused,” Ruby said, “but why? Don’t you guys have your own dorm?”

“We just got a new roommate from Headmaster Ironwood and we _really_ don’t want to hang around him more than necessary,” Rowan stated with a dark look.

“They can’t be THAT bad,” Jaune said. “Who is it?”

“Whitley Schnee,” Yamato ground out, making Weiss gasp in surprise.

“So then...” Blake looked at Ianthe in realization but then stopped herself; Weiss was the only one who caught this but remained silent as well.

“Look, the answer is no,” Krishna sighed. “If you have a problem, then just talk with the General. I’m sure he can figure something out.”

“But you know you can hang with us if you’re feeling uncomfortable, right?” Nora said. “I meant what I said: any friend of Oscar’s is a friend of ours!”

“… I doubt you can do anything to help, but I appreciate the offer nonetheless,” Ianthe sighed before looking at Oscar. “And… you have many people who want to help you. Don’t forget that.”

… he wasn’t sure what she was trying to hint at, but Oscar nodded in affirmation before the three departed.

“ _Meetingtime!”_ Ruby jumped behind them, already pushing them into their room at lightning speed before the door swished close behind them.

“I don’t get it; that kid’s supposed to be the new heir, right? Then why is he here?” Yang wondered.

Oscar quickly explained his conversation with General Ironwood and his run-in with Whitley earlier.

“It’s just like with the White Fang,” Blake said with clear resignation and frustration.

Yang gripped her hand comfortingly.

“I don’t like that he didn’t tell us about Uncle Qrow or Maria,” Ruby grimaced. “I get he was upset with us bringing her in, but Qrow...”

Oscar placed a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to comfort her, tell her Qrow was fine, but knew anything he said would sound like false reassurance.

“You don’t think _he_ sent Whitley here to spy on us?” Nora frowned with worry. “I mean, he could have hired more guards or placed him under more security- why bring him here?”

“What would he have to gain from that?” Ren pointed out. “Besides, huntsmen and huntresses are the best fighters here and he’d be in close proximity with General Ironwood.”

“If he wanted to sent someone to spy on us, he would have sent someone we wouldn’t recognize, and he certainly wouldn’t risk his heir.” Weiss looked apprehensive and her hands shook but her voice was coldly level.

Ruby and Yang moved to hug Weiss tightly, Blake and Jaune gripping each of her hands comfortingly. “We’re all here,” Ruby murmured, thumb gently rubbing against her shoulder.

Oscar frowned in sympathy for Weiss.

“Still, I wonder what the Intern kids’ beef with him was for?” Nora wondered. “I mean, he probably already made a really bad first impression from what Oscar’s described, but to actually wanna bunk with us? That’s a pretty big change-up.”

Right, none of them knew. Oscar kept his promise: no one aside from him or Ruby knew Ianthe was a faunus, and from how close Yamato and Rowan were to her, it was clear they knew too and were uncomfortable being around him by proxy.

“It’s because Ianthe’s a faunus,” Blake spoke. “So is her brother, Iris.”

_?!_

This got everyone’s attention now. “So Ianthe’s a secret faunus too?” Nora mused. “Maybe I should start a betting pool...”

Ruby stared at Blake, stunned. “How did you-?!”

“Their scents. Or, their lack of scent. They use a special mixture that hides their scents from other faunus to keep them from identifying them; Ianthe and Iris also wear lavender oil, so I barely noticed it until they were close by.”

Weiss’ eyes widened in realization, becoming paler. “Then… they’re the faunus who…?”

Blake nodded with a grimace and Oscar already felt a terrible foreboding. “Don’t mind us, just wondering what you’re talking about,” Yang dropped in.

“There are... certain people who only see faunus for their strength and abilities; they don’t believe faunus are lesser or as animals, but only think of how they can be of use to them.”

“So… they pay faunus to either sire or bear their children in the hopes that they’ll be faunus and be granted their abilities… while cutting off or destroying the animal traits the child has, sometimes right after birth.”

Oscar felt like he was going to throw up. The others looked just as repulsed, disgust and horror stealing away their voices as they went over Blake’s words.

“And it wasn’t just those two,” Blake continued. “Yamato and Rowan are both human, but still have a similar scent.”

“So, all of their families… do this?” Ren got out.

“It’s more than likely; they were just born human by chance.”

“It’s why she was so hostile towards Oscar at first- he saw her fangs during their spar,” Ruby explained. “We promised not to tell anyone...”

Oscar’s mind flashed back to their first interactions. They thought it would be just the three of them alone; but because he showed up, they realized he could figure out their secret!

… and now all three were being made to be roommates with the son of a man who all but enslaved the faunus.

… he was going to have to bunk with him too.

Right.

“… this place is so fucked up.” Yang’s fists shook with rage. “How did something like this even start to happen?! _He’s_ supposed to-!”

Oscar froze at her wording. _Did she…?!_

“Oh yeah, uh Oscar...” Ruby fidgeted. “Everyone here knows about Oz now.”

Oscar blinked rapidly before looking at the others… and their apparent lack of actual anger. He looked back at Ruby. “Please explain,” his voice cracking a bit.

“I was gonna tell you about Weiss knowing, but then you… weren’t around and when you were… it was last night and this morning...” Ruby trailed off. “It just… came out.”

_OH._

“It’s okay.” Jaune’s hands were raised with the palms up. “We’re not mad, Oscar- none of us are.”

… well, this was really, REALLY unexpected. “But-”

“We all agreed to think things over when we came here, and we did,” Weiss made it clear.

“And we agreed that we all… could have handled things better. But what’s important right now is doing better,” Blake said.

“Salem thrives on dividing us, and we’re stronger united,” Ren said.

“So now we’ve got our priorities straightened, we can definitely do it!” Nora declared with a grin.

“If anyone can do it, it’s you two,” Yang smiled.

“I am still angry with Ozpin, and I was wrong to put that on you. I’m not angry at you, and I’m not upset with you.” Jaune looked at him imploringly. “I support you, no matter what. If this is what you choose, I’m behind you 100%.”

Oscar stared in wonder as Ruby took his hands in her own. “We’re ready; we know what we have to do now.”

They did. They had really done it. They were all on the same page and ready to move forward, even after what happened.

“Wow...” Oscar gave a weak laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. “If I knew having a panic attack would make things easier to talk about, I would’ve-”

“Don’t JOKE about that!” The vehemence in Ruby’s words stopped him in his tracks.

“We didn’t know what was going on, or how to help you!” Nora looked like she was about to burst into tears.

“We were so afraid for you last night,” Ren said with sorrow. “The last thing we’d want is for you to go through that.”

“We care about you,” Jaune affirmed.

Oscar’s eyes burned and he smiled despite the tears beginning to slide down his face as he hugged them back. They could do this. They were so much closer now, and now… they could really do it! Once Oz came back, they could really talk things through!

However, that also reminded him of his attempt earlier. “I… I’m sorry; I tried to ask General Ironwood about you guys and staying here, but he’s still adamant you stay here. I tried to talk to him about you guys and Argus, but...”

“Oscar,” Jaune said gently, “it’s okay. We know we messed up-”

“ _That’s not the point!”_ Oscar cut him off. “We did everything we could to get inside legally! _We did everything right!_ But the blockade and Cordovin’s prejudice kept us out! I know we could have made a better plan but if we waited any longer, the relic would have attracted the grimm anyways!”

“Oscar…!” Ruby looked shocked.

“I know you guys feel awful, but this has to _stop._ We promised we would get better and beating ourselves up over this isn’t going to help us!” He gave her a smile. “We’re all in this together and we just made it clear how we’ll go forward. Right?”

Ruby looked at him in wonder before she smiled. “Right!” before asking tentatively, “Do you want to talk at all? About...”

Oscar’s eyes closed; his stomach squirmed but he felt lighter, better. Even so… there were still things that he couldn’t touch, not now.

“I’ll let you know,” he promised, blinking back tears. “Thank you so much.”

Ruby and Jaune’s arms wrapped around him alongside Nora and Ren, Blake, Weiss and Yang setting a hand on his shoulders and hair respectively.

“So, there’s still one important piece of business left,” Yang remarked once they withdrew.

Oscar blinked in confusion. “What’s that?”

“How we’re gonna celebrate your birthday, duh!”

… _. oh._

“So it is your birthday?!” Nora exclaimed in delight, hugging him.

Oscar opened his mouth before her finger settled on the tip of his nose. “And DON’T say ‘Don’t trouble yourselves,’ or ‘It’s no big deal’! It _is_ a big deal!”

Oscar’s mouth shut immediately.

“You’re gonna be fifteen; same age as Ruby when she entered Beacon,” Yang smiled wistfully before ruffling Ruby’s hair. “You were so cute back then~”

“Yaaaang.”

“Oh, who am I kidding? You’re still cute!”

“ _Yaaaaaaang!”_

Oscar thought about it; he usually waited to celebrate his birthday, since it was so close to the anniversary of mom and dad’s death. It was a quiet day spent with Auntie Do, maybe with some pastries or food of higher quality. He couldn’t remember the birthdays very well before mom and dad died, but he knew the only difference was the day it was celebrated on and the number of people.

 _I wish she was here,_ he thought forlornly before shaking his head. _No, I wouldn’t want here to be in this awful place, even for this._ _I wish I was with her, just for today..._

“Well, we can’t go out so we’ll have to find something to do on the grounds,” Weiss pointed out.

Just then, they heard a commotion outside. The door swished open and Oscar jumped as Neon, Iris and Kadium fell forward into the dorm from where they had been trying to get in. Flynt was behind them watching with a sweat-drop while CRDL hovered beside him.

“ _Shit-!”_ Iris rasped from where the two girls had collapsed atop him.

“Is he okay?! Did you find him?!” Neon exclaimed before seeing Oscar. “Oh! There you are!”

“U-um...” Kadium mumbled. “Are… Is everything…? What are you-?”

“Trying to figure out how to celebrate Oscar’s birthday,” came Weiss’ immediate response.

“ _Weiss_ _!”_ Oscar protested before Neon’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh my gosh! Congrats! We gotta do something to celebrate- um- uh! Oh I know!” Neon turned back to Flynt. “We can do _that_!”

Flynt looked thoughtful before smirking. “Sounds like a plan. Just give us a half hour to set up, yeah?”

* * *

Oscar blinked rapidly from where they were now sitting in the common area of the school thirty minutes later. Couches and chairs were set up with an artificial fireplace, a few screens with some shows on and a general cozy and relaxed atmosphere.

Near the center, FNKI had cleared away an area and had set up several instruments and a mike. Flynt had a saxophone now rather than his battle trumpet, Neon twirled her drumsticks and Iris adjusted his keyboard sash around his shoulder. Kadium stepped forth to the mike.

“ _Testing testing, one two three,”_ she spoke into the mike, shocking Oscar with how clear her voice sounded- he had never heard her speak over a whisper. _“Can you hear me guys?”_

“ _Loud and clear!”_ Iris declared, grinning- again, Oscar was surprised at how excited he looked and shocked he could look like that when he had seen from him were sour looks and scowls.

“ _Ready to rock?!”_

“Heck yeah!” Nora and Yang yelled together as the others clapped- Oscar was very confused but clapped along as well.

“ _One- two- one two three four!”_

Neon began drumming steadily before Iris began playing the keyboard, Flynt’s saxophone notes subtle against the noise but providing a smooth tone. Finally, Kadium strummed her guitar with an energy Oscar had never seen in her before.

 

“ _WHOOO!”_

 

Oscar nearly jumped out of his seat at the yell from Kadium as the music gained volume and intensity.

 

“ _I believe, I believe there’s a reason_

_There’s a breach in the hull_

_Started goin’ under_

_Loot and plunde-e-r-r~”_

 

“Oh wow!” Nora whispered in delight. “Look at her go!”

“Incredible...” Ren murmured. “She’s like a completely different person now...”

Oscar was amazed at the sheer contrast of Kadium here and before; gone was the timid, quiet disposition, replaced by this person who had full confidence in her voice and actions.

 

“ _Cut ‘em down, cut ‘em down at the knees yeah_

_Cut ‘em down to the bone_

_Just a lesser evil_

_Born unequal_

_You show them where they belong_

_Tear right through them_

_Tear right through them all~”_

 

Oscar shuddered at the sudden bass drop as Kadium’s voice gained new strength.

 

“ _We pretend in the darkness_

_We pretend the night won’t steal our youth_

_Singin’ me the sweet songs of seduction_

_Let me be the fool, fool, fool who will live and die for you_

“ _We pretend in the darkness_

_We pretend the night won’t steal our youth_

_Singin’ me the sweet songs of seduction_

_Let me be the fool, fool, fool who will live and die for you~!”_

 

“She’s got a great voice!” Ruby said in amazement, sending Weiss a grin. “She could give you a run for your money!”

“Maybe...” Weiss chuckled.

Oscar grinned as they continued to listen to their songs. FNKI were incredible singers and musicians (Well, he assumed Flynt was because he was too busy playing the saxophone) and he was hooked on every song. They switched from one style to another yet it all blended together seamlessly.

“ _Thank you, thank you, now I won’t keep from the spread!”_ Kadium breathlessly laughed after they latest number, adrenaline making her voice shake rather than shyness. _“A big shoutout to our guest of honor- happy birthday, Oscar!”_

Oscar blushed heavily at the clapping and cheering but he was grinning all the way through it. At this point, he could see some food laid out on one of the tables by the guards and he realized he was now incredibly hungry.

“Whoa, look at this!”

Oscar turned to where the Intern Students had wandered in. “Guys!” he waved over to them in delight. “Come over!”

“What’s going on here?” Yamato wondered as he looked around.

“A really spur-of-the-moment thing,” Oscar admitted sheepishly.

“ _Un-bel-ievable!”_ Nora hugged him from behind. “Don’t downplay your own birthday!”

“Wait, birthday?” Rowan repeated. “Oh… oh geez...”

Ianthe looked surprised at this before something sparked in her eyes. “I will be back momentarily,” and quickly turned around to leave.

“Ohhh...” Yamato said in realization before quickly clapping his mouth shut.

* * *

“Hey.”

Blake smiled at Yang as she offered her a drink. “Thanks.”

Yang winked back at her, making her chuckle as her partner settled beside her on the couch, legs just barely touching. The party remained in swing and Blake caught a glance of the guards dancing along a bit to Kadium’s next song.

 

" _I never really feel quite right, and I don’t know why_

_All I know is somethin’s wrong_

_Every time I look at you, you seem so ali-i-ive~_

_Tell me, how do you do it?_

_Walk me through it_

_I’ll follow your every footstep_

_Maybe on your own you take a cautious step ‘till you wanna give it up_

_But all I want is for you to shi-i-i-i-ne_

_Shi-i-i-ne down on me_

_Shi-i-i-ine on this life that’s burnin’ out…”_

 

Blake stole a glance at Yang as her head bopped to the music, grinning as she watched Ruby and Nora trying to get the last pastry. Oscar was talking with Rowan and Yamato, Ianthe nowhere to be seen.

_I’m glad he can have this._

Her smile dropped a bit the longer she looked around. She was glad for the rest and downtime after everything that happened, but she was becoming more and more frustrated. Salem was still out there, doing who knows what. Her forces weren’t going to stop just because they had. But what could they do? They were wanted criminals now and the only reason they weren’t in jail was thanks to someone they had driven away.

And that wasn’t even touching on the emotions invoked by the Hoods and the sinking sensation of watching history repeat itself...

“Hey.”

Blake blinked as Yang moved a bit of hair from her eyes. “You look like you’re thinking hard. Care to share?”

“… just thinking about what we’re going to do in the future.”

“I know the feeling.”

Yang’s finger traced the outline of her prosthetic, thoughtful.

“i never thought about the future before. Well, besides knowing I’d always be there for Ruby. What would happen would happen, and I’d roll with it. It was exciting, never knowing what was going to come next, what tomorrow would bring.”

Her smile fell, finger stopping near the grove where Adam had slashed down. “But now… all it does is bring me anxiety.”

Blake’s hand snaked over and gently grasped her hand, resting her head against her shoulder. “Aren’t you the one who told that worrying wasn’t going to get me anywhere?”

Yang snorted softly, other hand coming up to rest against where her bob brushed her shoulder. “Yeah...”

She would worry and she would wonder, but she would do it later. For now… Blake would _be._

 

“ _When you looked through me, you really knew me_

_Like no one else ever looked before_

_Maybe on your own you take a cautious step ‘till you wanna give it up_

_But all I want is for you to shi-i-i-i-ne_

_Shi-i-i-ne down on me_

_Shi-i-i-ine on this life that’s burnin’ out…”_

 

* * *

Jaune watched with relief from where Oscar was talking with the Intern Students; just seeing him smile and have fun after what happened last night brought him such relief. Heck, seeing everyone having fun together like this made him feel so much better.

So distracted was he that Jaune only noticed he was beside Cardin when he bumped into his frame. The two stood by awkwardly, unsure of their course of action and unwilling to disrupt the atmosphere with another fight. He stole a glance at the brunet.

Cardin was watching as Kasium finished her latest song, panting for breath and sweat running down her face before Iris tossed her a water bottle. His eyes returned to his drink.

“I’m not brushing anything off.”

Jaune looked back at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

“What you said last night. I haven’t brushed anything off.” Cardin’s expression tightened. “I'm not gonna pretend I was a good guy or that I was 'misunderstood'. I was a bastard who only became a huntsman for the perks and made everyone around me feel like garbage for a power high.”

His eyes bore a haunted look that made him look older. Jaune recognized it; he had seen it in the mirror for the last year.

“There... were so many dead. They were just kids; kids who had just come to watch- to have fun. They didn’t deserve any of that- none of them-!”

His voice shook and his head turned away, fists shaking. Jaune was unsure of what to say or do before he straightened, eyes determined.

“But when the Fall of Beacon happened, when I saw just what a huntsman was supposed to do, to be, I realized... people like _me_ would only make things like that happen again."

This… was not what Jaune expected. More than anything, the clear regret and sorrow in his voice took him by complete surprise. "Cardin..."

“I… I couldn’t find my team, thought I was the only one left. Thought if I was going to die… _I might as well go down_ _fighting_ _, y’know?”_ He gave a shaky chuckle. “But then _he_ found me. He saved my life. He was… hurt. But he still _fought.”_

“General Ironwood,” Jaune realized.

Cardin’s fists clenched. “He helped me; helped me become better, to _be_ better. Not just for others, but for _me_. He helped me to see how my action impact others. Helped me realize that... that I'm not the one who takes center-stage anymore. I learned to help others, not just me."

Jaune could only stare. He would have never imagined Cardin of all people saying something like this. Or changing for those reasons.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I was an asshole to you before everything, I was an asshole to everyone- And I’m not asking for you to forgive me, What I did was shitty to you. You have every right-”

“ _Cardin.”_ Jaune cut him off. “Just- stop. Okay?”

This was too much. He never expected _Cardin_ of all people to apologize to him, never asked for it. But now it was happening and it was _too much._

“Um...”

Jaune froze and looked down at where Oscar, Rowan and Yamato were trying to get by them so they could get some food. “Oh! Sorry!” He and Cardin quickly moved for the kids.

So much had changed. So much was still changing. It was kind of incredible in a way. He wasn’t comfortable with Cardin and still held anger, but after last night and right now… it was still there, but it didn’t mean as much as before. It didn’t consume everything like before.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but don’t drag that kid into it. I bet he’s got enough going on what with his dad.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look I already figured it out, okay?” Cardin’s eyes flickered to Oscar. “We know he’s Ozpin’s son.”

Jaune spat out his drink.

“We’re not gonna tell anyone, but it’s kind of obvious. He’s got his cane, the green color scheme… also they kind of look alike if I tilt my head and squint. It’s obvious he trusted you guys to watch over him him.” His tone didn’t hold the sneer or sarcasm from before as he added, “You guys were always his favorites.”

… well, he couldn’t be further off the mark if he tried. Still, it was better than the truth. Jaune wiped his mouth and tried to relax. It was jarring to hear Cardin refer Ozpin as Oscar’s dad, especially after learning about the former’s history and hearing about how the latter’s had died. But at least their secret was safe.

Also… it was kind of funny.

And he could only hope they could prove that they were right to be trusted.

Once Jaune wiped his mouth off, he noticed how Cardin looked at Kadium as she cracked her knuckles, strumming her guitar a bit. He grinned in realization despite himself.

“Sooo… Kadium, huh?”

Cardin’s ears went red and he looked in the other direction. “Shut up,” he mumbled.

* * *

Oscar grinned as he watched Cardin and Jaune’s interactions. It wasn’t much, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. He wondered what Cardin had said to make Jaune spit-take though- he’d ask later.

“Well, that was heartwarming,” Rowan remarked, “but I’m seriously starving.”

Oscar chuckled before seeing Ianthe return, hands behind her back. “Oh boy,” Yamato muttered and before he realized it, Oscar was being pushed towards Ianthe near the edge of the group.

“Hey, are you okay?” Oscar asked, noticing how nervous she was- this wasn’t like her at all.

Then again he could understand why, considering who they would be bunking with-

“I-um- _here!”_

Ianthe’s arm jutted out stiffly, a neatly wrapped parcel in her hand. She couldn’t even look him in the eye, her face was bright red. Oscar tentatively took the box and opened it up; inside was a sleek-looking scroll.

“To keep in contact with us. It’s the latest model and it comes with instructions in the box.”

Oscar stared in amazement. This was not what he expected at all! If the others got their scrolls back, he’d be able to keep in contact with them! “Ianthe, thank you so much,” he said with a smile.

Ianthe’s eyes flickered down before she smiled back at him. Oscar stared in surprise at how… soft it was. And gentle. It was… actually really _pretty._

Just then, he heard a new voice singing with Kadium; he looked in surprise to see Weiss join her by the mic. Her singing sounded all but heavenly and with Kadium, they sounded nothing short of captivating.

 

“ _There’s a ghost, she’s wearing my face_

_At parties being introduced with my name_

_Just a skeleton of bones, wearing nothing but clothes_

_And she is paralyzing...”_

 

“You…”

Oscar blinked as Ianthe’s hand clenched against her dress, words careful.

"You have continually surprised me since I learned you existed. You are academically gifted, a surprisingly effective fighter... and you are unfailingly compassionate and kind to others, even when they have not earned or deserved it."

Oscar looked at her curiously. “What brought this on?”

"I... am deeply ashamed of my earlier conduct towards you. I cannot ask for an apology, but can only hope you offer me the chance to earn your forgiveness."

Oscar blinked at her words. This was not what he expected. But he smiled gently smiled, "It's okay. Really. I can see that you mean it. And It's not that big of a deal-"

 _"You're doing it once more!"_ Ianthe cut him off, frustrated and upset. "Did I not insult you to your face? Put you down? Attack you? And yet you would brush off my attempts to make amends for my actions?"

Oscar's words died in his mouth. He... he had said this to Oz before. He had pleaded with the man to be honest about his emotions and how much they had hurt him. But he had refused to even acknowledge their existence until they…

* * *

 _"Nothing about what I said to you, what I_ did _to you... is okay. You can be angry, you can be upset with me. You don't have to force it down."_

* * *

Was that what Ianthe and Jaune thought _he_ was doing? Was he doing the same thing _Oz_ was doing?

 

“ _There’s a sound that’s haunting my dreams_

_Like children laughing in the distance, and I don’t know what it means_

_Am I afraid to be alone?_

_That nobody will ever know this death I’m dying?”_

 

But...

"But I'm really not angry with you, or upset," he said truthfully. "And doesn't the choice of whether or not I forgive you... ultimately lie with me?"

_And it ultimately lies with him. We can apologize and promise to do better, but whether or not he forgives us or ever trusts us again depends on him._

Oscar offered her his hand again. "Ianthe. I forgive you. Can we start over?"

"... Ia."

"Huh?"

"You… may call me Ia.”

 

“ _There’s a heartbeat under my floorboards_

_Charging me guilty, and I don’t know what for~"_

 

 

"Ia." It sounded a little strange as Oscar sounded it out, but the fact that they had finally gotten past this took precedence. He reached out to take her hand, smiling gently. “Come on. Let’s get back to the others-”

The scent of lavender oil was stronger and in his face as Ia leaned in and Oscar only had time to widen his eyes before-

 

_"There’s a blackbird over my door_

_Singing ‘Nevermore, Nevermore, Nevermore...’”_

 

 

“Hey guys, Neon’s gonna start setting up karaoke after this song if you wa-"

Ia pulled back just as fast, recoiling from where Ruby had approached them before she froze. “Oh… wow!” she stammered, face as red as her namesakes. “Um- sorry! I’m- um… _BYE!”_

Ruby waved goodbye with an awkward grin full of teeth before she was gone in a blur of red rose petals a second later.

 

"I... That was..." Ia began to speak before it devolved into a stutter, her face turning red as well.

Oscar tried to speak. He really did. But all he could do was stare, mouth hanging open part-way and body rapidly growing hotter by the second.

Ia swallowed and then bowed stiffly. “I over-stepped myself- I apologize. Please forget this happened,” and stiffly walked away.

 _Oscar, I apologize for-_ Oz began before stopping. _Oscar, are you all right? Oscar?_

* * *

“Dammit! Shit-! _SHIT_ _!”_

Qrow panted for breath as he fired at the cloaked figures closing in on them, but the cold air and the smoke fumes only made him cough harder. Winter’s summoned Beowolves snarled as they swarmed around, trying to fight everywhere at once as she worked the controls of the airship.

How had everything gone to hell so fast?!

Well, besides the obvious.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck you wrtier’s block and executive function disorder! I got July’s update DONE!
> 
> Seriously, I just typed up about five to six thousand words in the span of two-to-four days and still have enough left over for next chapter ^^;
> 
> A big thank you to both moguera and CaptainDrake123 Lambertz; the debate the two of you had in the comment section helped spark much of this chapter and helped craft more plot in. As for the direction I took with this story, “Reconciliation” started off as purely catharsis for myself after Volume 6 and the more I wrote for it, the more ideas that came up, and the more my passion for it grew. So when I asked if you guys wanted more plot for me to focus on the characters’ feelings, it was pretty even but plot won out. So while I’m still putting emphasis on the emotions and processing of RWBY+ JNPR, plot is slowly but surely building in the background.
> 
>  
> 
> Fuck you writer's block and executive function disorder! I got July’s update DONE!
> 
> Seriously, I just typed up about five to six thousand words in the span of two-to-four days and still have enough left over for next chapter ^^;
> 
> A big thank you to both moguera and CaptainDrake123 Lambertz; the debate the two of you had in the comment section helped spark much of this chapter and helped craft more plot in. As for the direction I took with this story, “Reconciliation” started off as purely catharsis for myself after Volume 6 and the more I wrote for it, the more ideas that came up, and the more my passion for it grew. So when I asked if you guys wanted more plot for me to focus on the characters’ feelings, it was pretty even but plot won out. So while I’m still putting emphasis on the emotions and processing of RWBY+ JNPR, plot is slowly but surely building in the background.
> 
> Edited 8/31/2019
> 
> Yeah, cutting this chapter off without celebrating Oscar’s birthday in some way was a mistake I regret making.
> 
> I’ve had the image of Kadum completely owning the stage and singing “Belgrade” (Gen:LOCK opening and song by Battle Tapes) and “Shine” (First Hellsing anime ending, specifically TFS’ cover) for months now and I can finally put it down on paper! I would love nothing more than to hear Weiss do a duet with someone too, and her and Kadium singing “Ghost” (By Fleurie) eludes to both Oscar/Ozpin and Ianthe.
> 
> I don’t own any of the songs, just using them to set the tone for the chapter.
> 
> Cardin having a crush on Kady came out of nowhere, but the idea of this burly arrogant armored guy crushing on a girl that was taller than him who wears face paint and can only properly project her voice on stage was too cute not to do XD
> 
> As for Ia and Oscar’s scene, that was one of the first I wrote when making my notes more plot-related. I contemplated leaving the kiss in or not before deciding to leave it there. Love at first sight doesn’t exist, but infatuation certainly does.


	15. Chapter 15

_Before everything went to hell..._

* * *

 This hadn’t been the first time Qrow had gone down to Mantle. Even years later, it hadn’t changed much since the last trip; the fumes of smoke, the smell of sulfur, unwashed bodies and the cold air made it difficult to breath and he was glad his crow form didn’t have much of a nose.

It was hard to believe that this place had once been the crown jewel of Solitas.

 _Well, at least_ _the_ _base’_ _ll_ _be warmer-_ he began to think before actually arriving in the beginnings of the city.

This was the only area that hadn’t fallen into disrepair and even it looked comparable to the ruins of Mountain Glenn on a good day. But the debris and black impact marks from laser pistols made it clear battle had taken place here.

The base itself was deserted. The lights were off and the doors had been forced open. Qrow grimaced as he came across a cold corpse, the little blood that leaked out frozen into red ice. Further exploration found the entire area had been ransacked and the communications thoroughly destroyed.

Another look around the area yielded no survivors. Qrow tried to check the logs or find clues as to what happened here, but even the journals that some soldiers had kept had been destroyed, only bit and pieces of charred paper or shattered scrolls remaining.

Whoever had been here had known what they were doing.

“ **\- why we have to come back here, with everything cleared out.”**

Qrow was already sleeping into the shadows at the garbled voice coming down from the hall.

“ **Look, orders are orders,”** another sighed. **“If anyone figures out what we’re doing, it’d ruin everything.”**

“ **True...”**

Footsteps echoed along with their voices and Qrow caught a glimpse of two figures wearing jet back cloaks with red insides, dark gray armor and goggles and mask that obscured their faces.

Qrow waited until their footsteps died down before swiftly backtracking away. Those uniforms belonged to the hoods, but the colors were wrong; the glimpses they had gotten of them had them in white cloaks, not black and red.

Was it an uprising? A revolt? Or something else? Those two had walked in here with such ease; they must have been completely confident that no one else would be alive or come here.

But how had they over-powered the soldiers here? Qrow _couldn’t_ imagine Winter going down without a fight or getting killed like this, certainly not by _thieves_. Still, the fact that her body was nowhere to be seen yet there were no blood trails he could find did give Qrow a bit of hope for her.

“H-h-”

Qrow froze. He strained his ears.

“H-he-elp...”

“ **It’s okay. I gotcha.”**

Another voice, this time scrambled with a modulator so he couldn’t tell who was speaking. He crept down the hallway, straining his ears for the source of sound. Finally, he came upon one of the more destroyed rooms, snow starting to descend through the destroyed ceiling.

His breath caught at the figure in white cloak, even though he knew that it couldn’t be her.

They knelt before a woman covered in rubble, pale and bruised, braided strawberry red hair matted with dust, dirt and blood, orange eyes hazy with pain. Qrow walked with Harbinger at the ready as the figure turned to face him- a classic Hood.

Black-tinted goggles, a mask that had… tubes running from the mouth piece underneath the hood (which had the inside colored the same dark gray as the ruins), pinned with a small black cross, that obscured any trace of their face, brown pants and shirt with black and gray body armor and bracers with what looked like a crossbow on their arms.

“ **We’ve got more pressin’ matters** **right now** **,”** they said, gesturing to the fallen soldier and barely reacting as Qrow aimed Harbinger’s barrel at them. **“** **Mind givin’ me a hand?”**

His eyes narrowed and while he did move in closer to move the rubble, he kept watching the Hood as he pulled the woman out. Her eyes lit up in recognition upon seeing him.

“Y-Yoshino Nadeshiko, special operative,” she rasped out.

“How’s you aura?”

“Used it… my semblance… kept me hidden… tried to fight… but then… the room collapsed… around me...”

“Can you feel your legs?”

“Y-yes...”

Well, there was a silver lining at least; if her spine had been damaged…

Qrow grimaced; if a special operative was in this bad of condition, he didn’t want to think about what condition Winter and the other soldiers were in.

“ **Here.”**

Qrow caught the small bottle the Hood tossed his way, and he nearly double-took at the at the label; they managed to steal  _aura replenishment pills?!_

“ **Yer welcome,”** the Hood said, making Qrow shoot him an irritated look before helping Nadeshiko swallow it down, making her body shimmer with straw-berry pink light.

“O-Officer Schnee… R-Rayleigh Radclyff… V-Viorel Regem…” her voice shook as she looked up at Qrow. “Are they…?”

“You’re the only one I could find alive here.”

Nadeshiko’s face crumbled, fists clenching. The Hood moved to place a hand on her shoulder, but Qrow grabbed their wrist before they could make contact- the fact they were trying to comfort her when _they_ attacked this place made his stomach burn with anger at the hypocrisy.

“It was your guys who attacked this place; what for?”

The Hood’s fists tightened. _**“**_ _ **I**_ **didn’t** **have anythin’ t’ do with** _ **them**_ _ **,**_ **”** they emphasized.

Qrow looked to Nadeshiko as she pulled herself onto her feet with difficulty while siphoning through the rubble. “It’s… true. The Hoods that did attack it… they were wearing different uniforms than this one.”

Qrow arched an eyebrow, waiting for clarification as Nadeshiko uttered a low cry of triumph from where she searched the rubble before turning to the Hood. They only pointed towards the sky as more snow began to fall down. **“Look, we do NOT wanna be here when it storms.”**

“Don’t dodge the question.”

The Hood sighed. **“I’ll get us t’ shelter an’ explain things there. If ya find me untrustworthy, feel free t’ fire wh’never ready.”**

Qrow’s eyes narrowed at their blasé reply; what kind of person invited someone to shoot them in the back at any time? Moreover, the bastard could be leading them right into a trap. But as the wind began to pick up speed and Qrow was vividly reminded of the trek to Brunswick, he kept Harbinger at the ready as he supported Nadeshiko and followed the Hood down.

* * *

The sound of electricity buzzing followed by screaming cut through the air. The faunus laborers kept their heads down, wincing as the woman twitched on the ground, the terrier faunus in black jacket holding the baton sneering.

“That’s right, keep your heads down,” she sneered, yellow fangs barring in a sneering grin.

Nadeshiko swallowed thickly, eyes flickering away as she clutched at her arm. Qrow grimaced at the sight but kept his head down as they followed the Hood around the back of the broken down huts.

They were getting dangerously close to the Schnee Dust mines and the last thing he needed was to be recognized by any of the guards. The Hood however clearly knew their way around, which pathways would keep them hidden from the laborers ( _Slaves,_ his mind supplied with disgust) and other Mantelians, or the guards from the SDC.

Even when not working, they weren’t spared the abuse from them.

But as they continued on, Qrow noticed something strange. The Hood knew their way around well enough, but they seemed to know _exactly_ when and where they needed to hide as guards or laborers or anyone crossed their path. All those times, they should have been caught, yet the Hood seemed to know exactly what to do or where to go to escape detection. This wasn’t just knowing when they’d show up; if that were the case, they would have been seen by other laborers or Mantelians.

Qrow knew that their close encounters could very well be his semblance kicking in (at the worst possible time like always), but even that didn’t get them discovered thanks to the Hood’s maneuvering.

Eventually, they made it to a small hill. The Hood brushed aside the dirt and culm to reveal a trapdoor. Qrow kept Harbinger aimed at them as they went down first, Nadeshiko wincing as her shoulder bumped the side. Down below was a makeshift tunnel with smooth walls.

“ **These** **tunnels** **were made in case o’ cave-ins, so workers’d have a way t’ evacuate,”** the Hood explained, voice becoming bitter. **“Schnee had ‘em walled off t’ prevent escapes.”**

“He would,” Qrow muttered with disgust.

Eventually, they came to a more rounded area with table, chairs and a cot. Around was a fire pit with pot and kindling and some makeshift shelves and cabinets. **“Here we go,”** the Hood muttered, helping Nadeshiko sit down on the cot.

Nadeshiko winced from the impact as she slumped against it, hand fishing out what looked like two gymnastic whips- one fuchsia, one pink- connected to rods. She flicked her wrist and combined them into a mechanized bow and then a three sectioned staff. “Apus and Columba still work… good,” she sighed with relief.

Qrow looked over at the Hood and blinked in surprise at them removing the cloak and hanging it up, pulling off his gloves to reveal thick, black claws on the tips of their fingers. To see them disarming themselves so casually in front of a stranger made Qrow wonder how they had survived this long. They had shown their back to him nearly the entire time they had been together, and considering how bad it was down here, the fact that he was a _faunus_ doing this in front of a _human_ _and stranger,_ not to mention how secretive the Hoods he knew of were, this made _absolutely no sense._

“ **Ah, th** at’s better,” the Hood sighed as they- he- pulled off the goggles and mask, revealing scarred brown skin, gunmetal gray eyes and white hair.

As he turned around, Qrow suppressed a wince at the faded but ugly brand burned into the right side of the Hood’s head, the hair growing haphazardly around the “SDC” and mutilated ear. As if he didn’t have _enough_ reason already to disdain of Jacques Schnee.

“So, what can I get ya?” the Hood turned to the cupboards as he rummaged around. “Don’t have much down here in terms o’ food, but I make do.”

Qrow blinked rapidly. What the actual fuck was even going on right now?! “Look, I’m I’m on a time crunch here. Unless you’ve got nothin’ to say, I need to-”

“Patrols’re out right now, an’ if your friends are alive, they’re gonna be hidden. If th’ ones I think attacked th’ base attacked it, then I know th’ best time for ya t’ get ‘em,” the Hood cut him off calmly before offering him another can of sludge water and some hardtack. “So let’s take it easy for now. An’ if yer worried about poison, just know if I wanted ya dead, ya’d be dead.”

Qrow looked at the man; he wasn’t stern or serious when he said this, simply stating it as a fact. Still, he was never one to turn down food, not when doing it meant starving. The water was bitter and oily and the hardtack made his teeth hurt biting into it, but it was far better than nothing. The Hood partook in his own food, across from him as the wind howled from up above. Nadeshiko remained where she was, trying to conserve her strength as her injuries healed.

There was little to do down in the tunnels save waiting.

* * *

 “Mind me askin’ what yer deal is?” the Hood asked suddenly. “It’s not every day a huntsman comes down here. I mean, I could piece t’gether yer here fer t’ investigate, but considerin’ they didn’t send soldiers from above down here… must mean they’re scrapin’ th’ bottle of th’ barrel in terms o’ manpower.”

Qrow’s eyes narrowed and Nadeshiko’s Apus set back into place with a sharp _**snap!**_ before the Hood showed his palms in defense. “Sorry sorry, just makin’ conversation. I get antsy when it’s quiet.”

“… right,” he muttered, staring at him with increasing confusion.

Seriously, the Hoods were supposed to be these thieves that had yet to be caught, so secretive that no one knew where they came from, just what they did. This guy’s sheer guilelessness and transparency was flying right in the face of all that, not to mention just how _suicidal_ it was considering how shitty it was down here.

“So, what’s going on here?” Qrow asked. “You’re a Hood, but you say they didn’t attack the base.”

“The Hoods don’t take lives… not _real_ Hoods,” the man said bitterly. “All we do is take from those who c'n afford bein’ robbed, an’ give t’ those who need it more.”

“Then why attack the base?”

“ _That wasn’t-!”_ The man cut himself off, trying to calm down. “The Hoods’re goin’ through a schism, okay? We used t’ be okay with what we always did, even if some of us wanted more. _Our people came first.”_

Qrow frowned. This... transparency was beginning to put him on edge. He’d seen acts that were just as convincing as this, if not more, and he had nearly been killed by some of them. And after the last few days in Mistral, he was wary of wholeheartedly trusting anything anyone had to say, save for the kids.

His eyes grew bitter as he spat, “That was b’fore _he_ showed up.”

Qrow waited for him to calm down proper before he continued, “He came down here, offered us weapons, mecha an’ food. Offered t’ help us overthrow Atlas so we didn’t have to live off their garbage.”

Nadeshiko grimaced. “That would do it, wouldn’t it.”

The man’s eyes became tired, gunmetal gray losing their light. “It’s not gonna work out. I tried my hand at that ‘revolution’ junk years ago. Nuthin’ good comes outta it, for either side.”

“White Fang?”

The man snorted. “If I had a lien fer every time someone asked that… I’ve never th’ displeasure of meetin’ th’ bastards, but heard plenty of ‘em.”

His eyes flickered to the side. “I tried t’ tell ‘em straight, tried t’ stop ‘em… but they didn’t listen.” He sighed. “I never knew how many of ‘em were sick t’ death of this- an’ the ones who agreed with me...”

The man cut himself off, eyes averting.

Qrow grimaced. This was the White Fang all over again: someone trying to do good for others only for anger and bloodlust to pervert it into _this_. He didn’t have to guess what happened to the man’s few supporters in the aftermath.

But he needed to focus on getting answers. “Do you have name for the guy? Or a description.”

“No name, but I know what he looks like: a creepy yellow-eyed bastard with a metal scorpion’s tail. Says he got it when he was experimented on by Atlesian scientists. That won him a lotta sympathy.”

“He was there,” Nadeshiko realized, gripping her arm tighter. “He killed _so many_...”

Qrow’s eyes narrowed at this description. “That’s a lie,” before pride seeped into his voice, “A huntress hacked it off to protect her team from him killing them.”

The man snorted in amusement at that. “No foolin’?”

“I was there. Punched him in the face myself.”

He laughed at that for a few moments, truly mirthful as Nadeshiko said, “So you are familiar with him.”

“Unfortunately. I know what he’s trying to do. He doesn’t give a damn about helping these people, he just wants them to cause panic and chaos, and th’ Hoods’ attacks on Atlas are perfect for that.”

“What th’ hell does he gain from doing that? If th’ grimm come, then-!” The man stopped, unable to go further.

“That’s most likely his plan,” Qrow stated gravely.

It was perfect in it’s brutality and simplicity: take a group of angry and disgruntled faunus, give them tools and use the ones who had been fighting for them to cause terror and confusion, bringing in more grimm. That would result in the Atlesians cracking down harder on the Mantelians and faunus laborers, resulting in more anger and fear, creating a loop of negativity.

Even if the grimm in Solitas couldn’t survive for long in the sheer cold and brutality of the continent, it could still be enough to draw plenty to them. It would cut off the dust mines from Schnee, halting production and leaving hunters and soldiers alike on a dust shortage.

And considering _her_ involvement…

“We have to go.”

Nadeshiko rose up fully, legs trembling just the slightest but in far better condition. Still, aura replenished or not, she had spent who knows how long trapped under the rubble in the cold and was still healing. “If what you’re saying’s true…” the woman swallowed the lump in her throat, “… what better way to get Atlesians to crack down here than _murdering a Schnee?”_

The man looked ashen with horror at his words, fists clenched and trembling as he tried to calm down.

“Okay. Okay then.” He grabbed another can of water and thrust it at the woman with some more hardtack and she chugged both down without complaint before the man grabbed his cloak, goggles and mask.

“Hey, got somethin’ I can call you?” Qrow addressed the man as he loaded the crossbow.

“… Roka Emiya. Nice t’ meetcha, Huntsman.”

* * *

The snow had slowed down somewhat, but it still made things tricky as they came out. “Here,” Nadeshiko offered the ribbons of Apus and Columba to them both. “My aura’s back up, so I can do this at least.”

As Qrow grasped the fabric, Nadeshiko concentrated and he felt a ripple of energy flow across him. Before his eyes, his body was disappearing, becoming more transparent by the second until…

Well, this was fucking disconcerting.

“ **That’s handy,”** Roka grinned behind his mask before becoming more serious. **“I got more pills, but be careful; yer still not at a hundred percent.”**

“I’m aware.”

Roka led them down past the ransacked huts, trembling in the wind. Small bonfires flickered feebly, not enough fuel to keep them larger than a few flickers. The smell of unwashed bodies, waste and disease was stronger now. They soon came to several walled-off caves, with one of them being guarded by the terrier and pug faunuses.

“ **These tunnels might be boarded up, but** **they make fer good homes an’ meetin’** **places,”** Roka explained before turning to Nadeshiko. **“Think yer semblance c’n keep maskin’ us?”**

“They could still smell us,” she murmured, arm twitching. “A distraction could help-”

Qrow changed Harbinger to it’s sword form before slashing at the rock. The faunus stood at attention at the noise, looking around. After a few moments, the pug moved to investigate while the terrier remained.

There were crude lamps stuck to the surface, the smoke slipping down and making it harder to breath as it mingled with the new scents. Still, it gave them light.

“Hey, we won’t cast a shadow will we?” Qrow muttered to Nadeshiko… at least, where he thought Nadeshiko was.

“My semblance lets all light pass through whatever my aura covers,” Nadeshiko explained. “We won’t cast a shadow so long as you don’t get out of range of my aura.”

“ **Handy; ya could kill someone like that,”** Roka remarked, and he could feel her stiffen from how tight the ribbons became.

“Focus,” Qrow hissed before clapping his mouth shut as they neared a growing crowd of faunus- the stink of unwashed bodies, waste and smoke was nauseating and he could barely swallow back the vomit in his throat.

“ _You don’t deserve this! You don’t deserve to spend another day more, risking your lives to add to the pockets of scum! My brothers and sisters, we do not deserve this. We did not choose this!”_

It was too soon to hear that voice again, and Qrow’s free hand subconsciously moved to his stomach.

Thankfully, many looked unenthused by his words. “Y’know how many’ve been sayin’ that?” a faunus with scales shouted out. “An’ nuthin’s changed no matter what anyone does! All this is gonna do is make ‘em crack down harder on us!”

This brought several more disgruntled mutters from the crowd.

“Why should we risk our lives for this?”

“I don’t wanna die...”

“At least if we do what they say we live-”

“But is this living?” Tyrian’s head cocked at the last person who spoke. “Fearing for your lives, at the mercy of bullies and scumbags, where even walking or breathing isn’t guaranteed to keep you alive?”

His arms spread. “How many of you have had loved ones fall under the abuse of humans? How many died in cave-ins in the mines of the Schnee Dust Company? How many have died from breathing in the fumes of the factories, the air rent with garbage?”

_“My brothers and sisters, you are not living! How can you when your lives are not even your own?!”_

Tyrian stopped, hands sliding together. “But I understand completely; you must know that you have a chance, otherwise you would not risk yourselves or your loved ones. And I am happy to show that to you!”

At that, several figures stepped forward, all in cloaks. Unlike the pure white and dark gray cloak Roka wore, these were jet black and red lining... with what looked like eyes painted on the backs. The masks, goggles and armor they wore were far more advanced than his as well and all held blasters or swords that had that newly-made gleam in the dull light.

“Are those th’ hoods?”

“What’re they doin’ with ‘im?”

“How’d they get those fancy digs?”

“The Hoods floundered under inept leadership, resigned to stealing the table scraps of Atlas,” Tyrian continued. “But with my benefactor’s help (Qrow’s skin crawled at how he enunciated those words), the Hoods have been reborn!”

Qrow couldn’t see Roka, but even he could _feel_ the anger from the man.

“Now I know what you are thinking: certainly they look impressive, but actions speak louder than words and appearances! Behold!”

The sound of struggling and muffled shouts caught Qrow’s attention. Winter and two others- a man with bronze skin, dark brown hair and electric blue eyes and a larger woman with dark brown skin, black dreadlocks and olive eyes- were bound and gagged, aura collars strapped around their necks. They were thrown on the ground before the faunus crowd, many of them backing up in shock, particularly eyeing Winter.

“Officer Schnee… Vio… Ray…!” Nadeshiko murmured with relief and new worry.

“ _Are you insane?!”_ a faunus with mouse ears shrieked. “If they find out you have a Schnee, then who knows what _he'll_ do to us! _He could string us all up!"_

 _He would, wouldn’t he,_ Qrow thought with a grimace- if attacking one of his kids had gotten the guards to crack down this hard on the workers and harass the citizens down here, he didn’t want to think of how much worse it could get if they laid a hand on Winter.

“Ah, but that’s why we stormed their base, destroyed their communications… and have allies in the city making sure no one suspects a thing~”

Qrow’s blood went cold. Who else was up there affiliated with Salem?!

“Wait… what…?”

“Is he serious?”

“But who?”

Tyrian threw open his arms. “There are those faunus who have once chosen to hide themselves, to conform to the laws and whims of humans… but no more! Now, they are our backers, our allies! Who do you think paid for this armor, these weapons?”

Regem and Radclyff exclaimed in horrified disbelief behind their gags at once, drowning out Nadeshiko’s, _“_ _No-!”_

“ **Wait, seriously?”** Roka muttered in disbelief. **“Th’ old hag’s really backin’ ‘em…?”**

“Oh yes. Your families have been such gracious hosts,” Tyrian smile was almost inviting, even comforting. “Join your brothers and sisters. Aren’t you tired of having to hide your true selves? Are you willing to subject your children to the same pain as you went through?”

His left hand traced down Regem’s back and his right settled on Radclyff’s head. “Your wings would have been so beautiful if you didn’t have to clip them every time, and your horns would have been so strong if they hadn’t been sawed off…” before genuine anger crossed his face, _“_ _All because of the humans_ _who_ _forced them_ _and their families_ _to disfigure themselves.”_

Regem and Radclyff looked anguished and Nadeshiko barely held back a choked sob. Qrow’s blood froze as he saw them becoming more visible during her distress, clutching at her arms, fingers digging into the skin and pale jade scales. The crowd was locked in a mixture of horror and sympathy for the two and many were hissing and yelling at Winter now.

At this rate, the group would turn into a lynch mob.

“But you have a chance! A new life could be yours for the taking! One where you are free to be yourselves!” Tyrian pulled out the gags from the two soldiers.

The entire area went silent as Regem and Radclyff looked back at Winter for just a moment before the former spoke.

“A world… where we can be ourselves… you can really make it happen?”

Qrow felt ice slither down his spine at the smile on Tyrian’s face. “You have my word.”

“… okay. Okay,” Regem’s voice was stronger now. “Show it to me then.”

“This had better not be a trap,” Radclyff growled.

This brought louder cheers from the crowd as Regem and Radclyff were freed their bounds and the aura collars pulled off. Winter’s glare remained but Qrow could see the beginnings of cracks in her disposition. _“No_ _no no no no_ _…!”_ Nadeshiko whispered.

“Well then,” Tyrian turned back to the crowd, “have I convinced you?”

This time, he was met with an even stronger cheers, invigorated by the show before. Roka gave a small groan of despair, his breathing becoming more frantic. Qrow would have wondered just what kind of experience he had in “revolution”, but for the moment he tried to find any exit they could use.

Suddenly, Roka fell forward and out of Nadeshiko’s range, becoming visible again. Qrow barely grabbed him from hitting the floor, his body shaking and then went still as though he was having a seizure. “Hey- _hey!”_ Qrow hissed with concern, even if his voice was drowned out by the cheers.

Roka’s head suddenly sprang up, headbutting Qrow and knocking him backwards, nearly dislodging the lamp he slammed against. At that same moment, Nadeshiko’s aura crackled from over-use and exhaustion and they became visible once more. He barely pulled the man and Nadeshiko into the shadows just before a bear faunus turned back to see what the noise was.

_Hello semblance, you were NOT missed._

Qrow panted for breath, trying to calm the fuck down after the near miss. Nadeshiko slumped against the wall from exhaustion of her aura and from watching what her comrades went through. As for Roka, he sounded like he was on the verge of a panic attack, hand clutching at his chest.

“Hey, c’mon,” Qrow hissed, gripping the mans’ shoulders gently- he hated having panic attacks during missions and while he was sympathetic, _they needed to concentrate._

Suddenly, Roka grabbed him by the front of his shirt and he could see the gleam of a terrified and desperate man in them.

“Th’ guards’ aren’t gonna join in celebratin’,” Roka whispered, eyes sharp even through the fear. “But when they rotate, we’ll have a chance t’ get ‘er out of here. But we gotta move NOW!”

Qrow blinked at the change in attitude but nodded in agreement; of course he’d know what the Hoods would do if they were his former comrades. Still, part of him nagged that he was missing something and after what had happened after the train crash, it made him physically sick not to inquire further. But they needed to get Winter the hell out of here and get the hell back up to Atlas and tell James what was going on.

By this time, Regem and Radclyff were surrounded by other faunus, clamoring in delight at their supposed new comrades. The two to their credit tried to pull it off, but their eyes kept flickering to where Winter was being held. Most of them were trying to reassure them (“It’s okay, she can’t hurt you anymore,” the mouse faunus said) and Qrow smirked with some pride as Winter’s glare was enough to scare off a faunus with horse tail off from prodding at her.

Thankfully, Roka’s path got them near the edge where she was being watched over. Nadeshiko was becoming more tired, her semblance nearly giving out again. She looked out into the crowd where the two were, trying to catch their eyes for just a moment. Qrow tapped her shoulder, shaking his head. Nadeshiko nodded, resigned as she followed.

 **"Once we get th’ hell outta dodge,"** Roka muttered to Qrow, **"we c’n make fer th’ ship ya came down in.”**

Qrow’s face went slack as dread pooled in his gut. He had expected when he got down here that he’d meet up with Winter and get a ride from her if the weather was too much. But now, they had no way to get out of Mantle-

No. They did have a way. But it’d make things a hell of a lot more difficult and dangerous.

“The ship’s down,” Qrow muttered, making them both double-take. “But I bet anything they’ve got one somewhere.”

Roka looked at him. **“** **Ya know their airship’s gonna be guarded even tighter.”**

“But if we get it, it’ll strand them,” Nadeshiko realized. “It might not be forever, but it’ll be long enough. At least to stall them and let us tell General Ironwood.”

Didn’t think he’d be using the same strategy twice in the span of two weeks, but beggars _really_ couldn’t be choosers right now.

“ **We’ll need another distraction,”** Roka muttered, **“but with how loud it is, I doubt-”**

_Slit_

The guard slumped over and Nadeshiko caught her, Apus’ blade tip gleaming with liquid. _“Take her!”_ she hissed, buckling another her weight before Qrow set her upright.

“ **How th’ hell did th’ two of ya survive b’fore now…?”** Roka muttered as he set the guard down, shaking his head at them both.

“I could be asking you that,” Qrow snipped lowly as he untied Winter. “You’re th’ one who decided on this bullshit.”

“ **Bullshit that saved your lives.”**

“I saved our asses. You nearly got us all caught-”

“ _If you two are done bickering,”_ Winter ground out, glaring at them both with a look that could kill multiple men at once.

"Good t’ have ya back, Ice Queen,” Qrow quipped, a genuine smile on his face now.

Winter’s expression softened somewhat at this but quickly became serious again. “Regem and Radclyff gave us our chance to escape. We can’t waste it.”

“ **Wait, what?”**

“They couldn’t very well say ‘no’ in front of the crowd- it’d only give their ring leader more ammunition.” Winter watched Regem and Radclyff trying to lead the crowd away from them, rallying their attention.

Nadeshiko looked so relieved at Winter’s words before realization flickered on her face and it fell. “I see...”

They couldn’t bring them with or wait for them, not with so many here, and not when they were running on fumes… and certainly not with his Bad Luck Charm interfering.

Roka took out a thin bolt from the crossbow and began to pick at the aura collar around Winter’s neck. About a minute later, a _sizzle_ and **pop!** echoed as it fell away, leaving behind four bloody and raw prickpins in the skin. Her aura smoothed over her injuries and she looked far better as Nadeshiko handed back her sword.

“Where would they keep the airship?” Nadeshiko wondered.

“They can’t have been seen by the guards,” Qrow mused, “but it’s gotta be close by enough for them to get th’ weapons to ‘em-”

“ **There.”** Roka pointed to the north. **“It’s got a cloaking field up.”**

Winter watched him suspiciously before Qrow shook his head. “If he wanted us dead, we’d be dead.”

But this was getting strange; first his trail earlier, his calmness even in showing such vulnerability to a complete stranger to this… this wasn’t just familiarity with the Hoods, it was like he knew what was going to happen. It reminded Qrow a little too much of...

He shook his head. Now was not the time.

There ahead of them, the last of the snow fell and remained around what could only be the ship. Qrow fought back a grin of relief, knowing better than to tempt fate-

_swsh_

Qrow was already changing Harbinger to shotgun mode and hit a Hood, Roka fired his crossbow which sent several burst of electricity, stunning the Hoods in closest contact with it. More Hoods emerged from the rocks and Winter slashed apart the bullets raining down at them as Nadeshiko’s whip-modes knocked back those trying to close in on them. Roka zipped back and forth, crossbows firing wires that sent electric shocks down while keeping his blows to knocking out his opponents… deliberately avoiding killing blows.

The Hoods themselves weren’t the worst fighters Qrow had encountered (he figured Roka must have trained them, with how similar their fighting styles were) but they were still predictable, too slow, too used to using stealth and being unnoticed and too used to escaping from fights they couldn’t win. They held back, barely using the blasters in order to keep from being discovered and now that they were fighting directly in the open, they were being overwhelmed.

Their guerrilla warfare style and ambush tactics were letting them down in an open battlefield.

( _Just like the tribe,_ his mind supplied.)

Even so, Tyrian was strong and fast enough that even as the Hoods were knocked down, it didn’t matter.

Tyrian’s tail slamming into Nadeshiko’s stomach and sending her flying. Her aura broke in a shimmer of pink as she hit the ground and rolled to a stop with a groan. Winter summoned forth several Beowolves to cover as as she raced for the airship, trying to get it up and running. Roka fired at Tyrian and he easily parried the projectiles, laughing as he shot right in front of Roka, slashing at him at both sides and forcing him onto the defensive, barely switching his crossbows into blades in time to block his attacks.

“I didn’t expect to see you again so quickly,” Tyrian quipped even as Roka slashed down at him, trying to get the upper hand. “Trying to convince someone else to follow you, Emiya? Did you sway their hearts with your rhetoric? Fight the good fight rather than making true progress?”

“ **I** **know lost causes when I see ‘em,”** Roka spat, genuine hatred in his voice now as he fired the crossbow with wire.

Tyrian blocked the bolt and knocked away the wire with ease. “Is that why you abandoned them?”

“ _ **Ya mean after ya filled their heads with ‘nough lies an’ false promises b’fre gettin’ ‘em t’ kill me?!”**_

 _Well, that explained a lot,_ Qrow realized, eyes flickering between Roka and the Hoods as they began to spread out.

Roka kicked Tyrian back before running to the Hoods, voice pleading as he addressed them. **“** **I’ve already seen how this ends! Yer not gonna get what ya want!** _ **Why would I lie ‘bout that?!”**_

_Wait what?_

The Hoods stopped for a moment… before wires wrapped around Roka’s arm, locking the crossbow mode down as they tightened before an electric shock hit him. He shouted in pain, trying to slash down with the blade to free himself but more wrapped around his other arm, sending another shock. Another Hood kicked his legs from underneath him, knocking him to his knees.

“Dammit! Shit-SHIT!” Qrow knocked back the Hoods, trying to reach the man as Winter's Beowolves swarmed about.

“Oh Emiya… you could have done such great things,” Tyrian tsked as he loomed over him. “To be able to see into the future is a gift so many would kill for.”

Qrow’s stomach dropped in shock.

“ **Shut up,”** Roka hissed, voice trembling.

“Oh, but you know it to be true. You must have seen such incredible things-”

“ _ **I said SHUT UP!”**_ Roka was barely holding it together now, writhing against the wires trapping him. _**“That shit’s done nuthin’ but bring me grief whenever I’ve chased after it! This path’s th’ best not ‘cause o’ th’ glory, but b’cause it helped my people! Maybe it wasn’t huge or grand, but it gave ‘em hope!”**_

_!_

“False hope. Hope that relied on promises you couldn’t keep,” Tyrian sneered. “I guess I answered my own question: you were so afraid of following the path to glory because you didn’t believe yourself capable of achieving it… could you? So you took the easy way out and convinced yourself it was the best path.”

“ _ **I-!”**_

Qrow fired Harbinger straight at Tyrian- he had enough of listening to this bastard speak, and seeing him like this was still too damn soon. But he got what he wanted, distracting the Hoods so Roka could get back on his feet, yanking them forward with the wires, slamming their heads together. The Hoods advanced on them, a few bringing out their swords as two flanked Qrow.

“Even now you can’t bear to kill, not even those who betrayed you?!” Tyrian laughed as Roka parried his blows, muscles spasming from the electric shocks and still reeling from his words before the metal tail slashed across his face.

The impact broke apart the mask and split the goggles in half as Roka hit the ground, face bleeding as they clattered against the ground, along with the black cross that had been holding his hood. Roka tried to grab for it before Tyrian’s foot smashed down on his hand, pincer blades at his throat.

“Tell me, how does your future look now?”

“… _not like dying to you.”_

Qrow’s scythe came down at Tyrian’s tail and he leaped back, barely avoiding the blow as the metal bounced off the tip. He fired Harbinger, Tyrian knocking back the bullets. “Not this time, little bird!” he sneered viciously.

Roka was already back on his feet, firing a wire that managed to wrap around his arm before shooting straight at him with his other crossbow transforming into a blade as he lunged. Tyrian laughed before it cut off as Roka actually leaped over him and wrapped his cloak around his head and shoulders in a feint. His tail and blades slashed at the fabric, but it must have been made of some pretty sturdy shit because _they got caught in it_ _and stayed stuck._

He threw Tyrian at Qrow and he slashed his sword down, the scorpion faunus barely parrying it in time before Roka threw a kick at him, knocking him back. Tyrian back-flipped back onto his feet to gain distance, firing at them. Qrow was already transforming into his bird state to dodge the bullets before transforming back right in front of Tyrian, kicking him hard in the stomach and winding him-

_shunk_

Nadeshiko’s Apus and Columba stabbed Tyrian’s from behind, flicking the trigger as liquid pumped into his skin. Tyrian froze in shock, spasming for a moment before slumping onto the ground. She panted from exhaustion and adrenaline as she stood over him.

Qrow panted for breath, surprised by the turn; he didn’t know many huntmen or huntresses that used poisons in battle. “Let’s go,” Roka rasped, grabbing the black cross.

_slit_

Qrow froze at Nadeshiko’s choked gasp, turning in time to see the tail rip through from her back through her chest, blood turning a sickly black as she fell forward, eyes wide and unseeing. Tyrian panted harshly from where he stood, foam at the corners of his mouth and eyes now purple.

Qrow was already grabbing Roka as they leaped onto the airship, now taking off. The remaining Beowolves swarmed around Tyrian but from the snarls and sounds of blades hitting ice, Qrow didn’t trust they could hold them off forever, especially with Winter already running on fumes. His heart hammered in his chest, silently begging the airship to move faster as Tyrian cut through the summons like rice paper.

Winter slumped against the seat, barely clutching her rapier now and head bowed. Qrow set a hand on her shoulder, Nadeshiko’s body growing smaller as they ascended.

“… we’ll find a way to get the other two out,” he murmured.

If Tyrian hadn’t killed them by the time they came back.

Winter remained silent before gripping the controls. Qrow let her be for now, turning his attention to Roka. The man slumped against the hull, one hand resting against his knee and the other clutching the cross from earlier.

The man could see the future. That was why he had been so calm before; had he seen that Qrow wouldn’t harm him, or were his words from before meant to lower his guard so he wouldn’t kill him?

Roka looked up at him, eyes exhausted and demoralized, but he still forced himself to sit upright with his palms facing upwards. Qrow waited for his explanation.

“No one can see th’ future,” Roka sighed. “What I c’n see are options an’ trajectories; possibilities an’ outcomes. I’m travelin’ down th’ rivers an’ streams o’ time with my semblance actin’ like a map. An’ th’ outcomes I’ve seen ‘round ya showed me… I could trust in ya.”

Qrow’s eyes narrowed.

“Ya don’t believe me. That’s good,” the man smiled. “I’d be worried if ya trusted me right off th’ bat.”

His eye twitched; his calm and certain nature reminded him a little too much of...

“What, did your ‘future vision’ showed you that?”

“Yup.”

“Even though it might’ve gotten you killed?”

Roka’s shoulders slumped, eyes losing their light. Qrow blinked in confusion; did he just trigger something in the man again?

“… before, I thought my future vision was me seeing fate. So I would pick an’ choose which ones I wanted. But… my future vision’s based on what I know. It can’t take in anythin’ I don’t already know about, it shows more th’n one future, at times that could be a few seconds or years ahead… an’ I can’t control when it comes an’ goes.”

Qrow froze at this. So those spasms from before hadn’t been on purpose or inside his control?

“Ya c’n imagine how many people wanted it when they found out ‘bout it. But none of ‘em gave a damn about me, just how I could be of use t’ ‘em. An’ when things didn’t go how they wanted… well, I was a pretty damn good target.”

Qrow winced at that.

“’I thought I could change th’ world, bring about sumthin’ better.” Roka gave a bitter laugh. “I did so many things fer what I wanted t’ see, t’ make. Made so many promises _… an’ it didn’t even matter in th’ end.”_

His head slumped, smile still in place but lacking anything even remotely positive. “Maybe he was right. Maybe I should’ve...”

Qrow didn’t know what to say to this; he knew how shitty it was having a semblance he couldn’t control or direct in a meaningful way aside from whenever it affected his enemies, as well a being blamed for something outside of his control. He knew how much it hurt to be seen as less than human or only seen for his assets.

* * *

“ _But you are!”_

* * *

Even with everything that happened, even going through his own turmoil (The look on his face still haunted him), Oz had focused on trying to comfort him. Even though Qrow had hurt him, had thrown everything back in his face…

Why couldn’t he have gotten angry?! Why did he always-?!

Roka looked at him with concern. Qrow shook his head; focus on the present.

“Even if it didn’t matter before, it does now.” This got Roka’s attention. “We’ve got this info, we can stop this shit from happening. We wouldn’t have gotten it without your help.”

Roka looked at him in surprise, and Qrow was a little taken back at how he seemed to hang off his words… as though it had validated him… before his eyes emptied, body spasming. Qrow was already kneeling before the man, gripping his shoulders until the spasms stopped. He panted for breath, clutching at Qrow’s arms, the black claws digging into his skin hard enough to draw blood.

“Roka?”

He looked at Qrow in surprise at the contact before he scrambled to his feet. “There’s a storm ahead!” he exclaimed just as the alarms blared inside. “We need t’ double-back ‘round NOW and’ get outta range!”

_Gods dammit, semblance!_

“Qrow, take the wheel,” Winter ordered as she moved to the center of the airship before looking to Roka. “Open the door.”

Roka obeyed; the wind howled and Qrow shivered from the new cold. Her Glyphs shone underneath her and out appeared two fully-grown Nevermores. They flew out and grabbed the airship, helping it stay on course even as the wind became stronger and hail began to fall around them.

Qrow could feel the controls becoming stiffer from the resistance and visibility was growing steadily worse as the storm began to catch up with them. Winter panted from exertion, her aura flickering as she fought to keep the Nevermores in existence.

“Got any more ideas?!” Qrow yelled to Roka.

“We gotta go west!” Roka hung onto the wall, trying to look through the blizzard. “Th’ storm’s headin’ east an’ there’s even an airship at th’ end we c’n reach!”

“Friend or foe?!” Winter barked.

“No idea...”

Qrow shot Roka an exasperated look before shaking his head and turning the ship to the north. However by this time, the wind and snow were stronger and the Nevermore were taking more and more damage the further they went. He startled when ball-sized hail smashed into the window, leaving several spider-web like cracks in it’s wake.

He heard Winter grunt with pain and fell to one knee as a Nevermore dissipated, and the airship jerked violently in the turbulent winds. Roka shouted in surprise as he was nearly knocked out of the ship, his wires stopping his descent just in time.

“We’re nearly there!” he yelled. “Just a bit more!”

But even as he said this, the wind picked up strength and the remaining Nevermore screeched as it dissipated, Winter’s aura finally exhausted. Qrow’s stomach lurched as the airship was sent into a tailspin, knocked off of the pilot’s seat as the controls whirled around chaotically. He was already sliding towards the open door before Roka’s wires wrapped around his arm, stopping his descent as Winter slammed her sword into the wall to act as a hold.

Then… everything stopped. Qrow slammed against the wall of the ship barely avoiding Roka and Winter. He could see violet energy wrapping around the airship before it righted it carefully, driving back the wind in the meantime. He could see the storm clouds behind them now and while it was still snowing, it was calmer now and the wind while still bitterly cold wasn’t nearly as strong.

Violet energy wrapped around the airship, righting it carefully and driving back the wind. The door was open to show…

“Friend or foe?” Winter asked from the back.

Roka and gasped in surprise while Qrow’s grin stretched across his face.

“Friend. Definitely a friend.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qrow-centric chapter ahoy!
> 
> Canon is probably going to contradict me in this area, but I went off the city of Mantle by what we were shown in a clip of the beginning of Volume 7 that was shown at RTX.
> 
> Yes, I based Roka’s semblance off of Garnet’s future vision. Originally, he was gonna have Hammerspace but the idea of someone having a semblance like that seemed too good not to do. Not only that, but his semblance and lack of control makes him a foil to both Oz and Qrow.
> 
> Apus and Columba are constellations, the former being the “Bird of Paradise” and the latter the “Dove”. The Nadeshikos are master pharmacists, using medicine and poisons verbatim.
> 
> Tyrian is said to be the most perceptive member of the cast, and I really enjoyed writing that part of him this chapter. Similar to Roman Torchwick, he has an undoubtable charisma once you get past the sheer creepiness that is Tyrian Callows. 
> 
> The Hoods themselves are based on Robin Hood’s Merry Men… if the Merry Men decided they weren’t satisfied with just stealing and hiding and wanted to bring down the ones they were stealing from down. And Roka shares inspiration not just with Robin Hood being betrayed by those closest to him, but with Reynard the Fox who regrets his immoral actions.
> 
> A big thank you to @Lookyekiti/ @Lythecreator for allowing me to use the name of her own Hoods for Reconciliation!


	16. Chapter 16

_Did you know?!_

Oscar’s face still felt hot where he was in bed, covers curled around him and the kitten fast asleep next to him. The space of the dorm had gotten smaller with Whitley and his guard with them, and especially more awkward after…

His hand curled around his lips, feeling the skin grow warmer just remembering the scent of lavender. The sheepishness from Oz did not help.

_Why didn’t you tell me?!_

_I..._ _had a feeling,_ _nothing more._ _I_ _did not want assume her motives_ _nor give you undue anxiety._

Oscar groaned, burying his face into his hands. This _couldn’t_ be happening, _he didn’t want to deal with this!_ He knew Oz’s previous lives had had families and his aunt had encouraged him that he could find his own one day. He had never given it much thought, but after what happened it kept repeating in his head… and the idea of it pertaining to _him_ made Oscar want to _throw up._

He couldn’t do this, not now, not when he was going to become just another cog in the wheel, not with someone hovering over his shoulder at any given time (and he was so glad that Oz hadn’t been present for _that_ ), not when Salem would send her agents after them and she could get caught in the crossfire-

_Oscar, you need to breath._

He tried, he really did. But the thought of anyone close to him getting hurt by Salem was making the panic grow. It wasn’t nearly as bad as… _that night,_ but it was close.

“ **Mreow?”**

The kitten was wake now, blinking sleepily at him. Oscar’s hand shook as he scratched behind her ears, the motions soothing.

 _N_ _o one is saying that you have to be with her,_ Oz said gently. _Certainly, the situation is awkward, but if you two talk to each other you can, at the very least, so_ _othe any misunderstandings. She has been a good friend to you in the time you’ve been here; it would do neither of you any good to lose that._

How could he do that when he couldn’t even look her in the eye, or when she was avoiding him like the plague?

Oscar blinked rapidly as the thought occurred to him. _Do-do you have any experience in this?_ _And_ _I don’t mean Ozma or another host… I mean, you specifically,_ _Ozpin._

He was met with surprised silence.

_I-_

The wake-up call sounded and stopped any response Oz might have given. Whitley’s shriek made Oscar’s ears ring further before it was cut off by the sound of a pillow hitting him. He pulled back the covers as Ia shot into the bathroom as Whitley threw the pillow to the side, the kitten already darting back under the covers from all the noise.

“ _How dare-”_

Ia doesn’t even bother with a retort, already slamming the bathroom door shut hard enough to make the window pane rattle. Whiltey sputtered furious, gesturing between the pillow and door, as if he literally couldn’t fathom what just happened. Rowan massaged their temple while Yamato gave Oscar a beseeching look, silently begging him not to leave them alone.

… well, there went his plans.

* * *

Whitley wondered if he was being punished for something. If he had somehow done something wrong in father’s eyes that had brought him to this place rather than being guarded at the mansion. But again, he chocked it up to that business partner of his.

He didn’t know how this man had gotten into business, not when he so insisted on being called “Doctor”.

Whitley would say it wasn’t his place to question his father (and it still wasn’t, nor would it ever be), but since he was heir he did have a right to know what would become of what would eventually be his.

Whatever. He would wait out here in this… school of glorified mercenaries, until things settled.

Even if it meant putting up with these _children._

The son of air-headed entertainers. The child of mundane factory workers. The daughter of turncoats who were obsessed with the past. That _disgustingly earnest_ errand boy who was apparently a student here.

Oscar Pine. Ugh, even his name sounded rural.

He was as simple as Whitley deduced; a wide-eyed brat who was unfailingly polite and patient. He hated him with a passion Whitley didn’t think he was capable of.

Still, Pine was still the only one of out of these _children_ who had even an ounce of respect and politeness for him. He didn’t know what he did to make the other three brats disdain of him, but Whitley didn’t care. Thankfully, his dear sister didn’t approach him from her gaggle of miscreants.

(He also didn’t care whatever was going that made Pine so awkward around that ridiculous-looking girl with the gaudy red cape.)

The school was as droll as he expected it to be and he was not looking forward to when classes would start back up. Honestly, was _this_ where their tax lien went to?

His hand wandered back to the side of his neck; he knew he would feel so scar and that the action itself was irrational, but he couldn’t help it. The only thing that kept him calm right now was the fact that Penninah would jump in if ever there was reason for his life to be in danger.

“Are you okay?”

Whitley scowled, hand falling back to his side as he looked away from the brat. “That’s none of your business.”

He could feel Pine’s eyes on his neck; of course he’d know all about neck pain, with those ridiculous bandages. How did he wrap them under his shirt? Was his entire torso wrapped?

“Do you really hate huntsmen that much?”

Whitley blinked at question- he didn’t know why but he was already meeting Pine’s eyes. “Ever since you’ve gotten here, you’ve done nothing but complain.” There was a hint of annoyance but curiosity was what dominated Pine’s expression and voice.

“It’s not a matter of hate,” Whitley scoffed. “Hate takes effort, and I’ve better things to do than waste my time with it.”

“Then why choose to come here if you-”

“What did you expect me to say, hmm?” he cut the brat off. “That it’s been my dream to enter a school full of children training to be used as society sees fit when they can’t commandeer soldiers, so I convinced my father to not only donate to this place but also allow me to enter?”

“… no. No, I didn’t.”

Whitley was taken aback by this response before Pine continued. “Weiss… didn’t want to come back here. She was uncomfortable, especially with…”

The last thing he wanted to talk about was his sister, and the fact that he somehow knew enough of their family only made his stomach curdle. What did his beloved sister whisper about him behind his back? After all, he had taken what was her. Of course she would disdain of him even moreso.

(He refused to acknowledge the dejection in the back of his mind.)

“But because _h_ _e’s your father_ … I thought he’d want to protect you.” Pine’s expression was saddened. “I thought he’d care about what you want, at least-”

“My father oversees a company that’s been supplying Remnant with dust for longer than you’ve been alive,” Whitley cut him off, trying to override the pit in his stomach. “He’d the only reason your precious huntsmen can function! They’d be nothing without dust-”

“But that doesn’t mean he can just do that to you,” Oscar said gently. “Treat you like-”

Whitley drew himself up to his full height, staring down at the brat. Pine blinked but his expression didn’t change. There was no fear, no apprehension and that only made the anger burn hotter in his stomach.

“ _W_ _ho do you think you are,_ _”_ he whispered with all the venom he could muster, fixing him with the coldest look he could, _“_ _to judge me, to judge my father? You’re nothing, and that’s all you’ll ever be-”_

Before he could go any further, a hand grabbed his arm forcefully and yanked him back. Regem glared at him and Whitley struggled to pull his arm away only to find that he couldn’t budge the appendage.

The next moment, Penninah was grabbing Regem’s shoulder tightly, eyes flickering red. “Remove your hand.” Her tone was still monotone (and he missed the chirpy tone _she_ used to take) but left no room for argument.

“Wait!”

Pine was quickly setting himself between the two, one hand on Regem’s and the other on Penninah’s. Regem stared at him in disbelief while genuine confusion flickered across Penninah’s face for a brief moment.

“Please, just let go.”

Regem’s brows furrowed for a moment before she released him, Pine pulling her away once Penninah let go as well. Whitley winced as he massaged the skin, startled to find it already bruising. He shot the little bitch a sneer before he beckoned Penninah with him.

This day could not go any slower.

* * *

Ianthe glared at the retreating back of the slimy bastard; he wouldn’t have that… whatever that girl was around to protect him!

However, her anger didn’t last now that she and Oscar were alone once more, especially when she registered his hand was still atop her own. (She didn’t blame Rowan and Yamato for giving them space, not after yesterday and this morning.)

It was bad enough that she had ruined whatever goodwill she had managed to curry with him the previous night, but the fact that he was daring to cozy up to a Schnee-!

(Nevermind that he technically already cozied up with Weiss Schnee, but the fact that she was a criminal and no longer heiress canceled that out.)

“Ia.”

She flinched; he still chose to call her that even after what happened?

“Are you okay?”

Did he mean to mend what they had? Did he have affection for her, or was he humoring her? Trying to appease her from last night?

What could she say? She had said what she needed to the previous night; she would be genuinely happy if Oscar could forget what had happened, how she had acted out of foolishness.

“It’s okay.” His eyes flickered away, blushing. “I’m not angry or upset about what happened.”

“… but you do not feel the same.” Disappointment welled in her stomach and she looked away, trying to keep her composure.

(Was she surprised? Not especially; she had seen how he and Ruby Rose had sequestered themselves away from the other six, the secret glances they shot each other.)

“I don’t know _how_ I feel.” Ianthe turned back to him and felt her stomach curdle at the look in Oscar’s eyes, how tired… how _old_ he looked. “I’ve never given… _this,_ a lot of thought. And with what’s happening… _I don’t think I can afford to.”_

… this was not what Ianthe expected to hear from him. But she could understand this viewpoint: she couldn’t afford to think of romance in her position either, not when she was supposed to further the Regem line. How quickly she would grow to care for this strange, gentle boy continued to shock her, and she clearly shocked him in return.

“I understand.” She laid her hand atop his as gently as she could.

She didn’t, not really. But from the surprised relief and fondness in his eyes, it was what he needed to hear. And the fact that she could still be his friend after last night gave her much-needed relief.

Now that the awkwardness had finally been cleared away, her earlier annoyance flickered in her stomach.

“Why do you bother being so polite to _him?_ ” she muttered. “He could easily take advantage of your kindness. _His father_ (And just referring to _that man_ made her stomach curdle further; how afraid she was that that little bastard could get her entire family thrown in the mines...) has had no trouble with doing so already.”

“That’s his…” Oscar shook his head, reiterating, “that’s _Jacques Schnee_ , not him. I’m not going to judge him for what someone else did.”

“But-”

“Ianthe, please… look at him.”

“I AM looking at him.”

“No, you’re _not.”_

Oscar kept his finger pointed and eventually, Ianthe followed the digit back. Whitley Schnee looked the same as he did the previous day: finely tailored clothes that had no place in battle, perfectly manicured skin and nails that hadn’t experienced a moment’s hard work, smooth hair perfectly straightened, fair skin without a callus, freckle or scar…

… dark circles beneath his eyelids, eyes which lacked light, the look of a cornered animal on his face, hand clenching around his opposite arm where she had grabbed him while sometimes trailing back to the side of his neck, how his feet tapped against the ground yet was unwilling to move…

… _how despite his haughty arrogance, he was trying to be as small and invisible as possible._

“ _He doesn’t have a choice in being here_. We all had a choice in coming to Atlas Academy. He didn’t; he was _forced_ _here.”_ Oscar looked at her pleadingly. “If you were forced to go somewhere you didn’t want to and had people giving you a hard time on top of that… you’d be miserable too, right?”

She noticed the emphasis he put on choice more than anything. And despite her anger, her apprehension… she knew exactly how that felt.

* * *

“ _Your sister has renounced her title, and left the house.”_

“ _But- but why?! Why would Iris-?!”_

“ _From now on, you will be the heiress to the Regem family.”_

“ _Huh?!”_

“ _You will start training tomorrow.”_

“ _B-but-”_

“I expect you will do nothing to taint our name as your sister has.”

“… _yes grandmother.”_

* * *

“It doesn’t excuse his actions or his conduct towards any of us, especially you,” she said stiffly, banishing the scene from her head to the best of her ability.

“I never said it would. I just want you to know why I’m trying to help him adjust.” Oscar smiled at her. “And… you guys helped me adjust here too, even though you were wary of me before.”

Warmth flickered in Ianthe’s stomach and she had never felt more relieved that her intuition had been right in helping him. But the memory of the panic attack he suffered too fresh, and her fingers gently squeezed around his hand. “You care so much for others… can’t you spare some of that care for yourself?”

Oscar blinked in surprise before he smiled fondly. “You sound like my friends. They said the same thing...”

And did it say unsavory and unusual things about her that the fact that criminals who committed a terrorist act comforting this boy as she did made her feel better?

And did it say incredible things about these eight that ever since she came into contact with them, her world continued to turn upside down?

* * *

Ruby fidgeted. She could feel the eyes of the few other students on them, more confused and disbelieving than sneering and disgusted. Team CNRY kept a wide berth, watching them silently. Ruby didn’t care.

Kadium and Flynt were to one side of the table, looking over the final models that Blake and Ren had been working on (Blake seemed more tired than usual), Weiss looking over the new dust cartridges. Neon and Yang were looking over some books, Irirs giving some sarcastic but good-natured commentary. She didn’t know what taken place that night, but Jaune was actually holding a cordial conversation with Cardin. Even Kalen, Keir and Krishna seemed more relaxed than before.

She cringed just remembering last night. She completely ruined the moment between those two!

She had tried to find a boyfriend briefly at Beacon, but hadn’t found anyone. (She didn’t want to accidentally start a love triangle with Jaune and Ren, Sun and Neptune weren’t interested, Scarlet liked boys, Sage didn’t care and the idea of dating someone from CRDL made her throw up in her mouth a bit at the prospect.)

(Weiss acted like a better boyfriend than any of them anyways.)

Even worse, she hadn’t seen Oscar all day. She could hazard a few guesses where he was, but the longer that she didn’t see him, the worse she felt. All she wanted to explain herself and smooth over the awkwardness of last night.

“ _\- think you are?!”_

“ _Don’t you ever shut up?!”_

Oscar winced at the voices entering the cafeteria. Whitley and Ia were arguing loudly while Yamato and Rowan were keeping a wide berth.

“Oh lovely, Jackass Schnee’s spawn is here now,” Iris muttered under his breath, making Weiss nearly choke on her coffee.

“Oh, you call him that too,” Nora remarked, Weiss’ cough taking a more incredulous wheeze.

Ruby didn’t care and she shot over to Oscar and Ianthe without wasting anymore time.

“I’msosorryaboutlastnightandinterruptingohgodsImeanohjeezIruinedthemoodandintrudedanditwasyourfirst-”

“Ruby, it’s okay!” He held his hands palms up before his head ducked down, blushing. “You had no idea that… _that_ would happen.”

“We’ve already talked it over,” Ianthe added, eyes flickering away.

Immediately, Yang, Nora, Neon, Kadium, Dove and Kalen were leaning in, all of them with a hand under their chin and an arched eyebrow.

Oh, she knew that look in their eyes. “Guys-”

“That _what_ would happen?” Yang grinned.

“Your first what now?” Neon’s smile looked distinctly more cat-like

Kadium and Dove were both silent but the shit-eating smirks on their faces said more than enough.

“ _Nothing happened!”_ Ruby and Ianthe squawked before Oscar could reply, her face burning now as she quickly added, _“Not between us, I mean-”_

Iris was silent, goggles opaque in the light before he stood up and walked right up to Oscar and Ianthe. It was rather odd; he was a boy and a few years older, yet he was barely taller than either of them. Oscar tensed as Iris set a hand on his shoulder, electric blue eyes serious.

“If you break my little sister’s heart, I _will_ destroy you.”

“ _IRIS!”_ Ianthe shrieked, her face now as bright red as Oscar’s.

“YES!” Neon yelled in triumph. “I win!”

Flynt muttered good naturedly while Cardin rolled his eyes as he and the rest of CRDL handed over some lien cards to the cat faunus. “Damn, I was just a week off,” Russel muttered.

“Aaaand cross that one off,” Kalen muttered as he produced a bingo board, Krishna and Keir doing so as well.

“Guys, come on,” Ren said gently. “You’re overwhelming them.”

“Awww, you got your first date on your birthday!” Nora cheered, hugging him. “I’m so happy for you!”

“ _I_ _t wasn’t a date!”_ Ianthe and Oscar both exclaimed together.

“Nice job, kiddo!” Yang laughed. “You made more headway than Ruby did back during her boyfriend phase!”

“ _Yang!”_ Ruby’s face burned hotter, both from the comment and remembering her efforts.

Weiss chuckled, amused. Ruby wished he could be more amused than exasperated right now. Blake tried to smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes.

“I’m glad you’ve been able to relax here.” Jaune looked at him with a proud but sad smile. “Things have been so hectic… and if anyone deserves to relax, it’s you.”

Oscar’s blush lessened a bit at Jaune’s words and Ruby’s smile softened. Seeing Oscar being able to take it easy, to study here and to experience the good times school offered had brought her such relief. When they had to leave Haven, she had been sad none of them would be able to finish school there. Even though the circumstances that brought them to Atlas Academy hadn’t been the best… it was nonetheless fulfilling. And Ruby hoped Oscar could see it like that-

“Master Whitley. The area is secured: no threat of hostiles within range.”

Ruby’s world stopped.

There was no pink ribbon holding her orange hair back, a black hat pinning most of it inside. The black visor hid her eyes and some of her freckles. The black suit she wore had so sign of her emblem.

The tone was wrong, but it was undeniable her voice.

She could faintly hear the others’ talking, voices hushed in surprise. It was like there was a filter around her, blocking everything out, save _her._

“ _Penny!”_

Rose petals scattered through the air as Ruby shot over to her, arms spread to hug her. However, Penninah stepped aside at the last moment, sending her sprawling across the ground. Metal clanked together as her arm morphed into a cannon, eyes glowing red.

“ **One hostile detected. Ruby Rose. Arrested for theft, terrorism and disturbing the peace.”** Her voice now had a harsh, metallic tone to it as she spoke. **“Stand down** **or be vaporized** **.”**

Weiss and Yang were already running towards her- Blake stared, paralyzed where she stood- when Penninah’s other arm morphed into a cannon as well.

“ **Three hostiles detected. Weiss Schnee. Blake Belladonna. Yang Xiao-Long. Arrested for theft, terrorism and disturbing the peace. Stand down or be vaporized.”**

Ruby stared in growing confusion and upset. “Penny- Penny, it’s me!” Her hand gestured against her chest. _“It’s me!”_

“ **Hostile becoming belligerent. Readying cannon.”**

“ _No!”_ Weiss cried out.

“ _Ruby!”_ Yang shouted.

Suddenly, Oscar was in front of her, pulling her out of the way. Yamato and Rowan were right beside him just as Ianthe moved in front of them all, hands shimmering with iris-purple light as she manifested her shield.Keir, Kalen and Krishna all pulled out their blasters, all aimed at Penninah

* * *

_The light in her eyes was gone, staring ahead blankly. She never noticed how her eyes resembled camera shutters-_

* * *

“ _P_ _en-P_ _enninah, enough!”_ Whitley exclaimed, panicked. _“Stand down!”_

Penninah remained where she was… before the canon morphed back into an arm, eyes returning to their normal green color. “Understood, Maser Whitley.”

Rowan and Yamato sighed with relief as the three guards pulled back their blasters. “Control that _thing_ better!” Ianthe scolded Whitley, gesturing to Ruby. “She did _nothing_ to warrant such an extreme response!”

Her chest constricted with agony. “She’s not a thing! _Penny-!”_

“Prototype Penny is no longer in circulation. I am Penninah.”

* * *

Oscar could see the moment something inside Ruby _broke,_ and she slumped against his side, expression shadowed.

“Wasn’t that the robot girl from…?”

“No fooling.”

“They rebuilt her?”

“I heard they were starting a new series, but I didn’t think they’d remodel it after _her.”_

Whitley gave Ruby a withering look but Oscar knew he didn’t imagine the flicker of upset in it. “Maybe if you _glorified mercenaries_ controlled yourself better, perhaps she might still be with us. Come, Penninah. I think I’ve had more than enough time with these _children.”_

“Yes Master Whitley.”

The two departed without another glance. “Why, that pompous, arrogant, entitled little bastard-!” Ia growled in anger as her shield dissipated.

“Sheesh...” Keir sighed.

“You two okay?” Rowan asked, looking over them as Yamato laid a tentative hand on Ruby’s shoulder, expression sorrowful.

“Whitley… how did he get…?” Weiss whispered in disbelief.

“ _What the_ _hell_ _were you thinking?!”_ Iris exclaimed immediately as he ran over to Ia. _“That thing could’ve killed you!”_

“I couldn’t just do nothing!”

“ _Well, you didn’t have to throw yourself at it’s cannon!”_

“Ruby!” Yang was already running to her side, hugging her as tightly as she could. “Are you okay?”

Ruby was silent, eyes still staring after the direction Whitley and Penninah had departed. Oscar remembered her speaking of Penny, how she had been kind, and innocent… and that had not saved her from death. But he didn’t know she had been a robot like Penninah was.

 _She wasn’t like Penninah._ _She could use aura. She had a soul. James-_ Oscar could feel a surge of anger and betrayal. _There’s no mistaking it. He must have used_ it _to create her._

Oscar’s eyes widened as he remembered the staff that resembled a painter’s brush-

 _W_ _hoosh_

Oscar was knocked back as Ruby shot down the hall in a red blur, the smell of roses stronger as the petals scattered across the floor. Yang’s startled shout rose in pitch and Oscar whirled around to see Blake bolt away as well as Ren called out her name.

Yang stared back and forth between where her sister had gone and where her partner had ran. “Go! We’ve got her!” Oscar blurted out as he scrambled to her feet just as Weiss, Jaune, Nora, Ren and Keir passed him.

He had enough time to see Yang give a shaking nod before running after Blake, Kalan bolting after her as Oscar ran after the rest of JNR. The trail of rose petals guided them down the hallway and Oscar quickly recognized this route.

How did she know the way to-

“ _HOW COULD YOU?!”_ Ruby’s voice rang out, anguished and betrayed.

**Crunch**

Oscar’s body went cold at the sound of metal impacting against skin and turned the corner just in time to see Ruby topple backwards against the floor. Her nose and lip were bleeding, cheek heavily bruised.

“ _How dare you!”_ Weiss thundered, already activating her semblance as she leaped between Ruby and her attacker, Jaune, Nora and Ren shielding her- Keir reached for their blaster before freezing in shock.

“Impudent brats...”

An old woman with speckled gray hair tied back in a bun and violet shawl over simple shirt and trousers stood at the front of the office with right hand raised in a fist, metal gauntlet stained with blood. Oscar’s whole body went hot and cold as he hovered over Ruby; her nose had been broken just by the impact.

It wasn’t just his anger he was feeling now and Oscar could feel something almost like _energy_ begin to hum in the back of his mind.

Ironwood had her other wrist in a vicegrip as he held her back. The old woman’s expression didn’t change, electric blue eyes empty. “You allow terrorists to wander your halls freely, James?” Her voice sounded as monotone as Penninah’s, with a cold undercurrent. “You surprise me. They could easily attack someone.”

“How I conduct my business is _none of your concern,_ Headmistress Regem,” Ironwood intoned dangerously. “And I’d watch how you conduct yourself as well.”

Oscar’s eyes flickered to the iris-emblem on the collar of her shawl. Was this woman the one Clementine had mentioned on the first day? His eyes flickered back to her; he could see no sign that this woman was a faunus… or was she human? He couldn’t tell. Headmistress Regem noticed his gaze, eyebrow arching a bit; he refused to be cowed and glared back defiantly.

“ _Holy-!”_

He turned to see Ia, Yamato and Rowan to the side; the suddenly empty expression Ia wore as Headmistress Regem looked her way made Oscar’s skin _crawl._

“My apologies, Headmaster Ironwood, Headmistress Regem. I saw this woman heading here, along with these cads and my dorm-mate. I did not know what to expect, so I followed in case she tried anything.” Oscar grew further disturbed at how clinical and emotionless Ianthe’s voice and tone was in the presence of this woman and Weiss’ eyes flickering with unease.

Headmistress Regem seemed satisfied with this as she nodded. “I shall check in once I am settled, General.” She bowed formally. “Thank you for your time.”

“…. of course.”

Headmistress Regem walked past them, Oscar hearing a low, _“Come hither, child,”_ as she passed Ia and she followed after the woman without protest. Rowan and Yamato exchanged glances, looked over at them before following after Ia.

Weiss looked visibly unnerved and her hand clenched at her wrist. The sound of bones setting back into place made Oscar wince and he looked back as Ruby’s aura shimmered over her.

“… why? _Why would you do that to her…?”_

General Ironwood looked at her with mild confusion before turning to Oscar. “General… was Penny made with the Relic?”

Ren and Nora looked shocked and Ruby stared at Oscar, realization in her eyes while Keir blinked, confused. Oscar flinched as the man began to approach him. Already, Jaune was stepping in front of them, arm spread out to shield Oscar. _“Don’t_ _you dare_ _touch him.”_

General Ironwood’s eyes narrowed dangerously before sighing. “I don’t have time for this. Tell your teammates to get your things ready. The eight of you are being taken out of Juvenile Placement.”

_?!_

“Something’s come up. We will be returning to the base.” General Ironwood’s eyes remained on Oscar. “And… _I expect you to be present.”_

* * *

Yang raced down the halls, trying desperately to find a sign of her partner. She said she’d stay, and they couldn’t leave the school but that familiar anxiety was beginning to rise in her stomach.

Blake was standing near the back, hands hugged around her tightly as she took deep breaths. Yang knew the signs of fighting off a panic attack too well now and she tentatively approached her. She could see the dark circles beneath her partner’s eyes clearly now.

“… I’ve had dreams. When we killed him… he fell into the grimm pool… and came out just like her… and he turned into a monster worse than before...”

Blake’s fingers dug into her arms.

“And I know he’s dead. I know but- but it feels like he’s still out there, watching me, waiting for-”

Yang’s hands reached out to cup her face as gently as she could, her heart twisting in pain for her. A tear budded against the amber orbs and her thumb gently brushed it away.

“I knew it wasn’t her. But-”

Her eyes closed. Penny had grown from being that strange girl who reminded her vaguely of Ruby to a kind and cheerful friend… she hadn’t deserved to have her life ended like that, and Yang didn’t give a damn if she was made of nuts and bolts. She had been as real and valid a person as anyone was.

More to that, Yang knew that Adam was dead and gone. Yet the nightmare hadn’t ended.

“It’s not like that,” Yang spoke, trying to convince herself as well. “You’ll never see him again. He’ll never hurt you or anyone ever again.”

“That’s not all that’s...” Blake’s eyes became haunted and confused. “I miss him.”

The breath left Yang’s lungs, body ice cold.

“He was apart of my life for so long; he had done so much for me. Trained me, looked after me, helped me build Gambol Shroud...”

“But- _he was terrible to you!”_ Yang burst out.

“ _And I was terrible to you!”_ Blake shot back, anguished. “I did horrible things, I- I left you all alone without a word, I abandoned everything just so I could run away-! _Go on, tell me I’m wrong!”_

“ _That’s not fair!”_ It sounded childish even in Yang’s ears, but she didn’t care; it was the truth. “He threatened you, didn’t he?! You were scared, you felt alone, so you-”

“ _That doesn’t make what I did okay!”_

Yang bit back a shout, struggling to calm down. “Look, it did hurt, okay? I wondered for so long what I did wrong, or what I did to make you leave without saying anything. I… would have given anything if you had been there for me.”

Blake’s eyes averted downward in shame but Yang’s hand gently coaxed her face back so their eyes could meet. “But you’re here now. And you were able to do what you had to, and you came back. You came back when she-”

When her own mother ran away. What did that say about Yang, that she had fallen in love with someone so similar to Raven Branwen?

“And look at it this way,” Yang swallowed back the lump in her throat to smile, “if you hadn’t gone to Menagerie, then we wouldn’t have stopped the White Fang and Salem’s goons; we could’ve lost Haven. You saved us all.”

Blake’s face grew warm under her touch, eyes wavering with surprise and growing hope. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I shouldn’t be-”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Yang’s forehead pressed against her. “You’re here. I’m here. That’s all that matters.”

Blake’s eyes closed and Yang was so relieved to see the anguish and upset from earlier reside, even if just a bit.

“Are you okay?” Blake suddenly asked. “Yesterday, you were...”

Yang grimaced as she remembered their conversation- but with Kalen there, she couldn’t speak of Oz. “I’m just tired,” she admitted, “and I just want to be able to hash this out.”

Looking back on the man after having read through the books, Yang could see all too easily the signs of paranoia, of post-traumatic stress disorder, the genuine fear of trusting others. She knew getting angry wouldn’t make things better; if they were going to get through this, they needed to able to handle Ozpin when they acted up.

It was no different from this.

Well, aside from the fact that he was a thousands year old wizard who made so many mistakes but was still trying to help people, and she was an unbelievably brave woman who despite her desire to run, Yang had fallen for so hard for it wasn’t even funny.

“You know that one man can’t control everything.”

Yang nodded. “I do. I just-” Her hands slumped as she remembered the Intern Students, particularly little Ianthe.

“ _She’s just a kid._ They all are. And- and they shouldn’t have to-”

Blake’s hands snaked around her waist to hug her gently. Yang’s head slumped against her shoulder, burying her face into the crook of her neck.

“Guys!”

Nora and Ren were running over to them. “Is Ruby-?!” Yang exclaimed.

Their expressions grew sorrowful. “Jaune and Oscar are with her,” Nora said before Ren added, “We’re being pulled out of the school; General Ironwood hasn’t specified why yet.”

Yang’s eyes widened in surprise.

* * *

Speak when told to.

Keep answers coherent and to the point.

Do not talk back under any circumstances.

Those were the rules Ianthe followed whenever Grandmother was present. As she asked her of her time in Atlas Academy, Ianthe also found herself lying for the first time to her. She knew how it would look if the heiress of the Regem family consorted with criminals. Yamato and Rowan backed her up flawlessly.

“… well done,” Grandmother finally spoke. “You have performed to my expectations. I expect you to maintain them within the future. We will have more time to talk in the future.”

Ianthe blinked, but remained silent as she waited for Grandmother to clarify.

“General Ironwood will be taking leave to tend to his duties. In his absence, I have been given control over Atlas Academy indefinitely.”

Ianthe’s eyes widened in surprise as Rowan and Yamato exchanged glances. While Headmaster Ironwood’s absences were certainly not new from what she heard, to leave _indefinitely_ was.

“Now then… how are the lists coming along?”

With that, the three of them showed her the notebooks they had filled. “Headmistress,” Ianthe enunciated as carefully as she could, “if I may ask the purpose of these lists?”

Grandmother was still and Ianthe’s unease grew before she spoke, “Potential sires or bearers. The Regems are always in need of strength; it’s how we’ve carved out our place here in Remnant.”

The words came to Ianthe like second nature, her voice subdued and dutiful. “Where there will be those who cling to their money that will eventually disappear, or the deeds of their ancestors and not their own, the Regems remain because we are strong.”

“We are not complacent. We did not rely on the deeds of the dead and we did not allow money to be the be-all end-all.”

“Strength is what matters most in this world; strength in mind, in body, soul and spirit. Those who are not strong will fall to the wayside or be trampled.”

Grandmother nodded, a flicker of pride in her eyes. She had pleased her, and that alone was enough to make Ianthe hold herself up higher.

* * *

… _why?_

**The Penninah Series: need an extra hand? Penninah will be happy to give it! Servant, guard, she can fill whatever roll you need!**

_Why?!_

Ruby threw the brochure away, feeling ready to throw up. She wanted protect people, to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.

To save the world.

And now…

Sky Lark and Dove put a hand each on her shoulder. “You wanna burn it?” Russell suggested. “I’ve been wantin’ an excuse to waste these matches.”

“… I’d like that,” her voice shook.

* * *

The gold that seeped into the blades’ cracks that acted as new hinges for Gambol Shroud gleamed dully. Along with the mechanism that would allow the blade to shoot out, connecting by the cords.

But along with it was a new part to the weapon: a black and gold gauntlet with sheets of metal atop it. Blake cycled through the mechanisms one last time.

First, it extended past her hand and covered the fingers in armor. Second, the sheets of metal formed into a hexagonal shield. She clicked the mechanism beside the dust canister and the grappling hook embedded itself in the wall.

Blake was ready.

* * *

The handles extended out, attaching to each end as the thin but sturdy cable extended down from the tips. The arrows each had a strand connecting them back to Stormflower, and could form into their own daggers with a flick of a switch.

Ren looked through the mechanisms one more time. One form of the bow was just that, allowing him to shoot the arrows he had made with certain dust cartridges. The other was similar to Ruby’s sniper rifle and allowed him to shoot bullets directly through

His hand tightened on the bow, other hand drifting to the strapped scabbard on his belt. The tip of his thum brushed against the dagger reverently.

In this moment, the memory of his father closer than ever.

Ren would take whatever action it took to protect what he loved.

* * *

Flynt flicked a piece of paper that Weiss barely caught in time, the address smudged a bit from the drying ink.

“In case you ever need _real_ dust.”

Weiss answered Flynt’s smirk with her own before it softened. “Thank you.”

“Any time, heiress.”

* * *

“… good luck,” Cardin said.

“… thanks,” Jaune replied.

* * *

Whitley watched in silence as Pine took his things. On the one hand, he would be rid of the brat that much sooner… but on the other, he was the most tolerable of the four.

_Hmm._

* * *

Yamato and Rowan hugged Oscar tightly. “Be safe, okay?” he said, barely holding back tears.

“And take care of yourself, for crying out loud,” they smiled sadly, ruffling his hair.

Oscar nodded, eyes flickering to Ia. She walked to him and handed him a small bottle of lavender oil. “You can use this for basically anything; just follow the instructions.”

He smiled softly as he accepted it. Ia’s hand froze for a moment before gently gripping his.

“I wish we had more time,” she finally said.

Oscar’s hand closed around hers. “Me too.”

* * *

Iris panted for breath where he was, eyes unseeing as panic grew in his eyes, gasps ragged with terror. Neon continued to hold one hand while Kadium wrapped her arms around him.

“We’re gonna get through this, Iris.” Neon placed a small kiss on the back of his hand, Kadium hugging him closer.

“No no no no no no...” Tears leaking down his face, anguished. “I left to get as far from her- _it’s not fair, dammit!”_

Yang frowned softly from where she had attempted to say goodbye outside the dorm. Her hand fell to her side and prayed that he would make it through this.

The others were ready to go and Yang smiled in pride at seeing Ren and Blake’s weapons reforged, particularly the touches Blake had put on hers. Ruby was silent, head bowed and expression shadowed and Jaune, Nora and Weiss hovered over her. Oscar remained apart from them, looking at the bottle of lavender oil wistfully.

The drive back was silent, Oscar yet again sitting at the front with Ironwood and looking extremely uncomfortable. Yang hoped the man wouldn’t hurt him, and if he did…

They were ushered back into the base and into a conference room. Qrow was leaning against the wall (even though there were plenty of chairs), Winter Schnee was sitting and looked like she had seen better days.

Yang watched as Ruby embraced Qrow; she didn’t cry, but clung to him as tightly as she could. Winter Schnee stiffened as Weiss embraced her as tightly as she dared, considering her injuries.

The man with white cloak (That nearly made her startle, remembering Summer) and brown skin was to the back of the conference room, visibly uncomfortable. The faded but ugly brand against his snow-white hair made Yang’s stomach curdle, and Blake’s fists tightened.

Ironwood dismissed the guards; Kalen and Keir sent them concerned looks before Krishna pulled them out. “Qrow.” Ironwood nodded to him, expression souring as he looked the branded man’s way. “Roka Emiya.”

The man- Emiya- saluted with all the irony he could muster, Yang barely able to hold back a smirk at the action.

With that, he, Qrow and Winter took turns explaining what had happened in Mantle (and Yang felt anger burn again at how he had kept something that could have killed her uncle from them). And the fact that the same bastard who poisoned Qrow and tried to kidnap Ruby had been down there amassing followers did not make er feel better.

“You can see the future?!” Nora exclaimed half-way through and Emiya flinched away from her, sweat-dropping.

“No, he can’t,” Qrow said in exasperation. “Options and trajectories, right?”

Emiya nodded, shooting her uncle a grateful look.

“So he’s not only gained followers down there, but weapons and paladins?” Ironwood reiterated.

“They’ve got allies in the city,” Qrow explained. “Th’ Regems are definite supporters.”

Yang’s eyes widened and Oscar looked incredibly disheartened. “Ia...”

“There’s no way Ianthe or Iris would ever support something like that,” Ruby said with determination before grimacing, “But I can see that awful woman doing that...”

Emiya’s eyes widened as he looked at Ruby and Oscar, gaze boring into them both. Jaune and Blake noticed and quickly put themselves between the two. The man’s eyes averted away, arms crossing tightly over his chest.

Ironwood’s eyes narrowed, teeth gritting. “And I just left her in charge of my academy.”He turned to Qrow. “Tell me you have some manner of proof to this.”

“I am more than willing to testify,” Winter stated, eyes like steel.

“I’ve got some dirt on th’ hag,” Emiya put in. “It might not incriminate her, but it’ll definitely make her life a lot more difficult, an’ get her removed.”

“… it’ll have to do.”

The guards came back. Weiss looked to Winter with quiet relief and Winter squeezed her hand awkwardly before she and Emiya were escorted out. Once they were gone, Ironwood’s flickered to Oscar. He grimaced at his gaze on him, and Yang swallowed; this was it. This was either going end horribly or somehow come out okay.

Oscar’s eyes shimmered with dull gold and Qrow stiffened, half trying to keep indifferent, half trying to reach out. Jaune tensed and Nora and Ren each put a hand on his shoulder. Weiss and Blake stood at attention.

Oz was back.

“Ozpin, there is much we need to discuss,” Ironwood stated.

“Indeed.” Oz’s voice was stern. “You used the Relic of Creation to make Penny Polendina.”

Ironwood stiffened.

“I told of the dangers the Relics posed, yet you went behind my back all the same.” His fists tightened. _“Why.”_

“ _I did it for you! For our cause!”_

Oz’s eyes flickered for a moment but he remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

“The Maiden Powers, even your Reincarnation, are almost always random,” Ironwood explained. “With the advances we made with aura conversion and the Relic, we wouldn't have to force some poor girl into taking on a burden she isn’t ready for… or condemn a man to a life of war.”

Oz’s upper expression was shadowed. “So you would instead make puppets to be used? Like Penny? Did she ever have a choice, James?”

“Everything I have done is for protecting our people and our world,” Ironwood ground out.

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t have the utmost faith in your decisions, James,” Oz stated coldly and Yang shivered; she wondered why he hadn’t become that angry with _them._

Ironwood repressed a flinch at that before regaining himself. “And yet you would defend their actions after _what they did_ _?”_ His eyes flickered towards them.

“They acted rashly, but it was because they literally had no other choice. What were they supposed to do, James? If they waited for more news, the relic would attract grimm to them; there was an entire herd of Apathy beneath Brunswick that could have been drawn to Argus. Or worse… Salem’s people.”

Yang didn’t miss the momentary tremble on his hand against the cane as he said her name. She had heard it before; after Emerald’s illusion of Salem.

And now he was defending them too. Yang’s mouth tasted like bile, remembering their last interaction with him.

“And… if I had been honest about the relic… none of this would have happened.”

“Oz-” Ruby began, but Oz shook his head.

“I am truly sorry for what you have gone through-”

“ _We’re sorry for what we did too!”_

Oz froze mid-sentence, entire body going rigid and Ironwood looked just as surprised.

"Oz, what we did to you was _so wrong,"_ Ruby said, voice wavering from grief but still holding strong. "It was cruel, and invasive and you have every right to be angry and upset with us."

Yang wasn't sure what she had been expecting from the man... him looking at them like they had started speaking in tongues wasn't one of them.

"You've always respected our privacy and our choices- we should have done the same with you. And we didn't," Weiss put in. "There's no excuse for how we acted."

"I... I know what it's like, to do that, to keep everything in so you don't trouble anyone," Blake got out. "But bottling everything up isn't going to help anyone, least of all you."

"You let us be angry, and gave us time to process this," Yang said with a sigh. "It's only fair we do the same for you."

"... Phyrra made her own choices. If I'm gonna hold you accountable for yours, I need hold her accountable for hers too," Jaune finally said.

"We all did things we're not proud of... but we're going to keep trying to do better," Ren said.

"It's gonna be okay, Oz," Nora said with a smile. "We'll help you get through this."

* * *

Oscar could feel Oz’s growing shock and confusion, his words stolen away.

 _I’m sorry I didn’t tell you; I didn’t know how you would take it._ _We’ve been talking and working things out- me and Ruby have been spearheading it,_ Oscar explained gently. _We all agreed… we all made mistakes. We all agreed we still want to fight, and we want to help you. They understand, they empathize with you, Oz._

His hand laid against his chest, smiling softly. _We’re here for you._

* * *

Yang’s eyes flickered to Qrow. He looked genuinely surprised, but contemplative. There was a flicker of anger but he didn’t allow it to overtake him. Her eyes closed for a moment, flickering open to Ruby. Her little sister looked so relieved and she couldn't help her lips twitching into a smile before it fell off.

She had to tell them the truth. Now was as good a time as any.

She couldn't imagine how they were going to take this, but she could see that they were willing to listen and to forgive as much as they were able to. Even if they got angry, she could bear it. They'd work through it just they had before.

_It'll be okay._

Yang finally spoke, "Guys-"

"Hey, Oz? You all right there?" Nora asked. "You… don't look so hot."

* * *

“ _Where you seek comfort, you will find only pain.”_

_How right he had been._

* * *

Ruby turned back and Yang followed her gaze. Oz was silent save for his breathing, his head bowed so Oscar's hair swept over his eyes. "Ozpin?" her sister voiced, concerned.

* * *

_He could barely see anything, only their furious expressions._

_And why wouldn’t they be?_

* * *

He said nothing but his chest began to expand as his breathing became faster, his voice hoarse as he gasped for breath. His whole body shook as he huddled inward, hands coming up to clutch at opposite arms. His bangs fell and his eyes were wide and haunted, looking at nothing.

Yang's breath caught, already flashing back to Oscar’s panic attack.

* * *

_Those eyes that had gazed upon him with such love, now glared down at him with hatred. “We finally had freedom.”_

_He always wondered why he didn’t do as she said._

* * *

“Oz?” Qrow was already approaching him, hand reaching out towards him with a concerned expression. "Are you-?"

"Qrow wait!" Yang exclaimed.

* * *

“ _Meeting you was the worst luck of my life.”_

_Not him- please not him-!_

* * *

**_"DON'T TOUCH ME!"_ **

Ruby barely got her arms up in time as she was slammed backwards by a green energy dome, the impact knocking Yang onto the ground. Uncle Qrow went crashing against the wall, the impact hard enough to leave cracks. The light fixture shattered on the ground before the room became alight with green energy, a howling wind making her ears hurt. The same energy spheres from Jinn's flashback were crackling erratically around.

“Ozpin?!” Ironwood shouted.

“Oh no-!” Weiss’ hands covered her mouth as Blake shielded her, eyes wide with growing apprehension.

"What's going on?! What is he doing?!" Jaune exclaimed.

"Something's wrong! This isn't like him!" Ren shot back.

"Oz, what's the matter?! Did we say something wrong?!" Nora cried.

* * *

_Oscar struggled against the onslaught of memories, the cold burn of anguish, despair, fury, panic and terror blocking everything else out._

_Like a blizzard, Oscar was hit with the cold, the wind and snow from every which way. Bombarding him, stripping away his skin, leaving him thrown about in it’s wake._

_But at the center through the white, Oscar caught a glimpse of green and black._

_Oscar fought to get to him, but the cold burned hotter than fire and the wind was as impenetrable as any wall, keeping him from getting closer._

* * *

Ruby didn't waste anymore time and activated her semblance. “Oz!”

* * *

_Oscar forced himself forward, struggling not to lose sight of the green and black through the blizzard. For a moment, he could have sworn he heard Ruby’s voice and warmth spread through him, giving him direction._

* * *

_**"STAY AWAY!"** _

The spheres shot straight at her but everything was already blurring as she shot through the air. However, the green dome kept her from reaching him. And through the light, she saw his face.

* * *

_Finally, Oscar reached the center._

_Silver hair, copper eyes hidden by small glasses, green and black suit. On his knees, back bowed, clutching at his head as the wind and snow howled around them, mouth open in a silent scream._

* * *

His mouth was drawn in a teeth-barring snarl, eyes wide with terror and anger staring at something she couldn't see. He looked like a cornered animal.

_This is my fault._

* * *

_Oscar didn’t think, already hugging the man tightly, one hand settling on his back and the other cradling his head. Ozpin was so much larger than he was, his height even dwarfed Ironwood, but he felt so small now._

_The memories battered down on him harder._

_Oscar’s grip remained strong._

* * *

Then... violet energy crackled along with the green. It up-righted the table and placed the light fixture back in place while bringing new light into the room.

She no longer wore the white blouse with black cape, skirt and boots, but a simple white tunic- that showed bandages wrapped around a scarred neck- dark violet pants and black combat boots with a shawl of the same color draped across her neck. Even her hair that had been pulled back in an elegant bun with ringlets now just barely reached her shoulders.

* * *

_Ozpin’s head moved up, brushing against Oscar’s shoulder._

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch stood before them. Behind her, Ruby could make out Maria, Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck.

Oz's arms dropped, stunned as the dome of green energy vanished- Ruby barely landed on her feet, afraid to move even though she was barely inches from him.

Even though the energy spheres didn't disappear, Professor Goodwitch walked past them with an otherworldly calm until she was in front of him. She reached out slowly, carefully, until her hands settled on his cheeks.

He remained silent, chest heaving, as Glynda gently hugged him. Doctor Oobleck approached with the same carefulness before joining in the hug. Professor Port wrapped his arms around all three, pulling them in tightly.

* * *

 _Oscar felt tears sting his eyes as the man’s c_ _ries_ _drowned out the wind completely._ _Every sob shook his body, every breath ragged, eyes wide and staring at nothing as tears slid down freely._

 _O_ _scar held him through it all._

* * *

Ruby couldn’t move from where she was. She could feel Maria’s hand on her shoulder vaguely, hear Ironwood snarling something at Qrow, hear the others being escorted out.

But her attention remained solely on Oz.

_This was all her fault._

She had hurt the man who had taught her so much, had lifted her up. She had caused this. Tears slid down her face but she couldn’t look away.

Maria remained by her side, silent as she gripped her shoulder in comfort.

* * *

_Oscar could feel the man start to shake less, head burying itself into his shoulder. New memories. Gentler memories. Warmer memories. And with them three names._

* * *

"I wish we could have met again under better circumstances," Glynda said with a sigh, hand settling on his head and ruffling his hair lightly.

Ruby wasn’t sure who was looking back at her now, but either looked so taken back by the gentle action. But more importantly...

"So... you all know then,” her voice shook.

"We have for years," Professor Port stated, solemn.

Ruby stared, shocked. “… about everything?”

* * *

_He could see four children playing together. A loud-talking and brave boy with brown hair. A quick-talking and lanky boy with green hair. A serious and calm girl with blonde hair. A timid and quiet boy with black hair._

_Those four children went to school together, wanting to see the world and change it._

_But then the timid and quiet boy would experience change none of them expected._

_He told them of the memories he experienced, not yet understanding why the man in his mind was so adamant he keep it to himself. Were these not his friends? Did they not promise to always be there for each other?_

* * *

"Because giving up would mean leaving people who have done no harm to others and who simply want to live their lives at her mercy,” Dr. Oobleck said gently. This way, we may not only make knowledge and training available, but also bring about protectors- whether through training, or inspiration."

"There is a difference between youthful selfishness and genuine malice and too often are they regarded as one and the same... but it is clear that these thoughtless actions hurt him more than anything that had been with cruel intent,” Professor Port stated.

Ruby’s head bowed, eyes closed.

"Yet... all might not be lost."

She looked up at Dr. Oobleck’s words before Professor Port spoke, "You know what it is you have done and are doing everything in your power to not only make sense of it all, but to make amends. You make no excuses for your actions and seek only to help heal what has been hurt."

"Regardless...”

Glynda looked up from where she still cradled Oz. “You hurt someone dear to me. I have... never seen him like this before. I speak with candor: I do not forgive any of you for this, and I find it in extreme doubt that I ever will."

Ruby accepted that. "Pro-"

"You may call me Glynda, Miss Rose.”

“… thank you, Glynda.”

The door slid open as Kalen came in. “Um… the others moved to a different room,” he got out. “Should I…?”

"... thank you, Kalen," Oz spoke and gently withdrew from Glynda. "It is good to see you all."

Glynda gave them both a tired smile. “I think we could all benefit from some time to cool down.”

"I will not argue with that."

“And once everything is settled, we shall begin our plans!” Dr. Oobleck declared, zipping past Kalen and down the hallway.

“… right, I’m just gonna do my job and… not question _that,”_ Kalen trailed off with a sweat-drop.

“You do that,” Maria said with a nod.

Oz looked to Glynda, the two sharing a soft gaze. Ruby was reminded of the gaze Ozma and Salem held, long before everything had gone so wrong. Professor Port gripped his shoulder his a nod and Oz squeezed his hand back. After a moment, Glynda sighed with a soft eyeroll.

"You are impossible," before moving to her feet. "If you need us... we will be unpacking."

"... thank you, Glynda."

“I’ll catch up with you in a moment,” Maria said, and even though she didn’t technically have eyes, Ruby could tell she was sending her a knowing look.

Her smile quivered for a moment before she rose back onto her feet. She offered Ozpin her hand and relief flooded her chest when he took it, allowing her to pull him up.

They had been trying so hard to find a way to talk. It hadn’t gone how they wanted. But now they had laid everything down… and there was nothing to do but build on that.

"Um..."

"I will not pretend I am all right. Nor will I pretend that this is something I can push aside."

"No, I'm glad you're... being honest with how you're... feeling. I'm so sorry-"

"As I said before, you would not have been put in such a situation had I not hidden what the relic was capable of. That was an error on my part."

"It doesn't make what we did to you okay. You were scared, and you felt like you couldn't trust anyone-"

"As you said, it does not excuse my actions."

Ruby gave a short sigh, trying to hold back her tears. "Can- can we just agree we both messed up and just want to work together to make things better?"

Oz looked at her closely before he gave a small smile.

“Here we go.” Kalen brought them to the next door.

Ruby met Ozpin’s gaze for a moment; he looked so lost, as lost as Oscar had looked when she first met him… but there was something else there. Relief, of a sort. She wasn’t allowed to dwell on this any further before the door opened up.

Yang refused to meet anyone's eyes, her gaze downcast. Nora and Ren were shocked, Jaune was incredulous, and Blake was torn between disbelief and betrayal. Qrow was incredulous, Ironwood disturbingly stoic before he turned and left.

"How long?" Weiss questioned, voice low and trembling. "How long have you known?"

"... since Haven."

Qrow stared at Yang in renowned disbelief. “You lied _right to my face-!”_ before storming out past them, unable to even look at her sister.

"Yang... what the _hell?"_ Nora exclaimed, making Ruby freeze at the swearing.

"How could you think this was okay to keep from us?!" Ren snapped, stunning Ruby further. "We're supposed to be in this together, and you just-"

"I KNOW!" Yang stood up, fists clenched before she deflated, eyes falling back to the ground. "I know what this looks like and _you're right!_ I should have told you, but I just- _couldn't!_ And I was going to tell you earlier with Oz and Qrow but then-!"

“Um, guys?” Ruby voiced, tightening her grip on Oz’s hand. “What’s going on?”

"Yang lied about the Spring Maiden," Jaune spat. "Vernal was just a decoy. It was Raven Branwen all along."

Ruby turned to Yang, stunned. "I didn't lie-"

 _"The hell you didn't!"_ Jaune barked in her face. "What happened to 'no more secrets, no more lies'?! You were the one pushing for everyone to be open with each other, and then you pull something like this?! _How could you think it was okay to lie to us like this?!”_

"... I didn't lie." Yang's voice never sounded so small.

"Uh, yeah you did!" Nora said, arms crossed.

"Lying by omission is still lying! You refused to tell us everything," Ren said sternly, "and refused to trust us with this information!"

 _"I do trust you guys!"_ Yang protested, anguished. "I'd trust you all with my life…"

Ruby struggled to get it together: Yang had always worn her heart on her sleeve. For her to lie to them like this, and for so long...

"Yang, please," she said calmly but firmly- she couldn't afford to be her baby sister, _she had to be the leader._ "Just explain."

Yang took a breath, eyes still downcast. "She already had the Maiden Powers, and the Relic attracts Grimm. If I had let her leave with that, it'd just paint an even bigger target on her back for Salem-"

"So you made _us_ the target instead?" Ren retorted.

Yang flinched at his words. "Back then, I was fine with making _myself_ the target, and fighting because all she was gonna do was _run away_. But..."

Her head bowed. "Even after everything she did, everything she said... _she's my mom_. I couldn't just- I-"

Ruby's breath caught at the barely held back tears in Yang's eyes. She knew how long Yang had been trying to find her, how riveted she had been whenever dad or Uncle Qrow talked about her... and the first time she had ever met her, Raven had saved her life from Torchwick's henchwoman. Even after what happened at Haven, Ruby could understand why Yang chose what she did.

“… Raven killed Penelope?”

Yang flinched as Oz spoke. Just hearing the name of the previous Spring Maiden’s name made her composure break further.

“… she said she was scared, weak. She tried to train her, but…”

Oz’s eyes closed with sorrow.

But Jaune's gaze held no sympathy. "So you chose the fully-grown woman who abducted Weiss and held her hostage, who sold out our group while siding with the bitch trying to rip apart the world- the one who orchestrated the Fall of Beacon and led to _Phyrra's death_ -! The woman who abandoned you and never looked back... _over us?!"_

"I KNOW I MESSED UP, OKAY?!" Yang's voice cracked, the tears finally falling. "I should have told you, and I shouldn't have lied! But that's why I'm telling you _now_! At the time, it just made the most sense not to- I had to play things-"

"'Close to the chest?' Gee, where have we heard that before?!" Jaune cut her off with a snarl. "Talking about trusting each other, and then going around our backs-!”

“So that’s what that was all about.”

Ruby startled a bit at the difference in tone; Oscar was back! “Osc-”

Oscar pulled his hand out of her grasp, fists tightening and his expression shadowed.

“Oscar…?”

“That _stupid interrogation_ back at Haven. I always thought it was strange. Now I know why; you didn’t care about whether or not he was responsible or if he used them. You just wanted to deflect the blame away from _her!”_

Yang stared, stunned. “I-”

“You were so determined to defend that _gutless bitch_ even after all those horrible things she did, that you’d pile on the blame on him instead-”

Oscar froze, eyes widening with realization.

_"This is all your fault."_

"Oscar?" Jaune began before Oscar shot over to Yang, grabbing the scruff of her coat before slamming her against the wall.

Ruby stared, stunned; when had he moved?! _"Oscar!"_

"If you hadn't kept this secret, if you hadn't just- we wouldn't have to take the relic back to Atlas to keep it safe." His voice was so level and calm, but his fists were shaking as his head was bowed, bangs obscuring his eyes. "Everything that happened: the train, the grimm, Jinn, Oz, the heist-!"

Ruby shuddered in surprise and fear as Oscar looked up at her sister, eyes dark with rage and teeth barred before his fist collided with Yang's cheek.

“Oscar!” Her voice cracked from concern.

 _"You're the one who decided to put a target on our backs!"_ His voice rose to a shout as he kept shoving and hitting her wherever he could. _"You're the one who pushed him, even when you said he could trust us! You're the one who wouldn't let things go! You're the one who deserted him when he was at his lowest!"_

Ren and Nora were already pulling him back away from Yang and he fought against them as hard as he could, tears of fury forming.

"YOU'RE THE REASON HE LOCKED HIMSELF AWAY!" he yelled. "YOU'RE THE REASON HE BROKE DOWN BEFORE! BECAUSE YOU WERE A COWARD AND HYPOCRITE _JUST LIKE HER_ _!_ _ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"_

“Oscar, please calm down!” Ruby pleaded.

* * *

 _No. No. Not like this. Oscar, please-_ stop!

Oscar ignored him.

* * *

"Oscar-" Blake began before Oscar rounded on her with a snarl that made Ruby flinch. "Are you _seriously defending her?!_ If she hadn't done what she did, then _he_ wouldn't have gotten the chance to attack you!"

Yang gasped like she had been punched in the stomach and all at once began to shrink back, eyes wide as more tears slid down her face. Oscar kept struggling against them, anger only growing as tears of fury slid down his face.

"It's all because of you- if you hadn't done this- then we- I- I wouldn't have- none of this-!"

He shook against them, and the fact that he was crying out of anger made Ruby’s heart break.

“Uhhh...” Kalen was joined with Keir and Krishna as they came in. “Everything go-”

Yang swung at Krishna’s head, nicking the woman's ear. _"Yang?!"_ Ruby, Blake and Nora all exclaimed.

"Whoa, what the hell, kid?!" Kalen snapped, pulling out his batons alongside Krishna before Yang swung at him next, the force of her sits cracking his baton. “Erk-!

 _"Enough!"_ Keir barked, grabbing Yang's wrist before slamming her against the wall- she didn't struggle as they strapped an aura collar onto her wrist. “I’m taking you to solitary so you can _calm the fuck down!_ Krishna, Kalen, get the others out of here!”

“R-right!”

 _"You coward!"_ Oscar yelled after her, furious as she was led out. _"We're not done here!"_

Yang froze for a moment and Ruby became increasingly worried about how her lips were starting to quip up into a tiny smile as she was led away. Oscar broke free from Ren and Nora but the guards had already departed. His chest rose and fell erratically, a growl of frustration in his throat.

“Oscar-” Jaune began, reaching for the boy before he furiously slapped the hand off of him before storming away.

“Wait!” Ruby exclaimed, about to run after him before she heard someone collapse.

Weiss had curled up on the ground, hands covering her ears and eyes squeezed shut as tears slid down her face. Ruby stared stunned before rushing to her side, Blake not far behind.

"Weiss- Weiss, we're here," Blake murmured, gently touching her face. "It's gonna be o-"

 _"Why?!"_ She cried out, breathing erratic as more tears slid down her face. "Why does every family I have-?! _Why does it always turn out like this?!"_

Jaune ‘s hand settled on his head, slumping backwards. Nora and Ren hugged Jaune between them tightly, alternating between rubbing his back and cradling his head.

All Ruby could do was watch as everyone broke apart again.

* * *

The room was only about twenty feet long and wide with a single bed and a toilet in the furthest corner.

"Just try to cool your head, okay kid?" Keir said with a sigh. "Whatever's going on... you all just need space. Once you get... whatever that was sorted out, it'll be okay."

Yang remained silent as the collar was taken off before the door closed behind her. For a while, all she does is stare ahead with that same tiny smile... before she began laughing.

* * *

“ _That BASTARD! Tell him we’re not done with him yet!”_

* * *

“ _You coward! We’re not done here yet!”_

* * *

Her shoulders shook, her breath was short, her eyes stared ahead at nothing and all she could do was laugh.

* * *

James moved down through the hallway. Anyone in his way quickly moved to the side. He pressed the keys on the elevator, taking him down to the lowest level. Dark green light flickered on as he walked down into the lab.

All of the materials he had needed were in place; it had cost him a great deal, but he finally had everything he needed. Ciel Soleil stood facing the paintbrush-like scepter, still wearing funeral clothing while Dr. Polendina worked quietly. Near the back was the latest model of the aura transference machine.

One of the capsules was empty.

The other held a custom android.

“Sir?”

“We need to move ahead of schedule. How soon will you have the machine up and running?”

Dr. Polendina typed for a few more moments, eyes flickering to the photograph near his desk of the young woman with orange hair and green eyes and the young man with silver-brown hair and carmine eyes. “It should not be much longer, though I cannot give an appropriate estimate quite yet.”

James reigned in his temper, fist tightening. “Bring him forth.”

“Yes sir.”

Her voice cracked for a moment. James’ expression softened at the tear stains on her face and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Your mother would be proud of you.”

Ciel’s eyes closed for a moment, one last tear drying against her cheek. When she opened them back up, blue fire-like magic crackled around them.

“Yes sir.”

She gripped the scepter tightly and spoke. _“Hephaestus.”_

Time stopped yet again as white liquid dripped from the scepter. Soon, it froze like ice and climbed up. Before James, was a thick and broad man colored marble white with long, thick beard, twinkling black eyes, brown apron and a twisted leg.

“ **Hello** **again,** **little miss** **!”** he boomed, affectionately gently ruffling Ciel’s hair beneath her beret before his gaze turned to James. **“I must say,** **General** **, I haven’t crafted so often since-”**

“I have the materials needed for this to be finished,” James cut him off flatly.

Hephaestus sighed, stroking his beard. “ **You are always so serious… you must take joy in creation, General!** **And do keep in mind that ordering the gods or their creations around has never ended well for anyone involved!”**

James scowled as Hephaestus gave a booming laugh, leaving what was needed before returning his attention to the android. His hand caressed the glass of the capsule, lingering over the android’s copper eyes, it’s pale skin, it’s silver hair.

It wasn’t his fault; this was too much for one man to bear. It was an error due to humanity; paranoia, distrust, pride. All of this prevented Ozpin from the goal he himself had given them.

And the weight of those mistakes had already destroyed him.

That was why he couldn’t be human anymore. He needed to be more, and James would help him achieve that.

_He would make sure Ozpin would always listen to him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Littlemisssquiggles had the headcannon that Penny’s robot form would become a buy-able series of sorts in Atlas, and I took a bit of inspiration for that here. As for Whitley’s interactions with her, blame Ezroar for getting me on the Broken Machines/Beta Testers train.
> 
> Jocasta Regem is based on Tywin Lannister with a bit of Trunchbull and my own experiences with an abusive family member thrown in (“Come hither,” is something she would say.) As for if she’s a human and faunus, that doesn’t matter in the context of the story. What matters is that she is so obsessed with strength and the idea of strength that she would put her own family through hell in order for them to look strong.
> 
> Blake’s weapons take cues from these links- https://miki-13.tumblr.com/post/183593688753/hammertime-rwby-yesterday-y8ay8a-posted-a 
> 
> https://miki-13.tumblr.com/post/184746369293/catalyswitch-blake-belladonna-atlas-ver-and 
> 
> https://miki-13.tumblr.com/post/185603041133/majdart-blake-weapon-design-version-1-inspired 
> 
> Ren's bow is based somewhat off of the Viridian trailer's bow, and pays homage to his father, Not! Hanzo.
> 
> Also lavender oil as an abundance of uses, seen here- https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7769/13-uses-for-lavender-oil-the-only-essential-oil-youll-need.html 
> 
> Ozpin’s panic attack was one of the first scenes I had written out when I started looking past Oscar chewing Yang and the others out in chapter five. I knew I wanted to have him break down and to have Glynda be the one to help pick up the pieces.
> 
> I don’t know if Glynda will be brought back, but right now her common sense is sorely needed.
> 
> The name of the team between these four is SPGO (Snapdragon). The name I gave Professor Ozpin’s incarnation is Sora (Sky) “Zora” Zoroaster (Golden Camel). “Zoroaster” is part of the Wizard of Oz’s overly long name (Oscar Zoroaster-Phadrig-Issac-Norman-Henkle-Emmanuel-Amboise-Diggs) and was again inspired by littlemisssquiggles fan-names for the Oz incarnations sans OG! Ozma and Oscar.
> 
> As for the confrontation with Yang, I actually borrowed bits and pieces of it from one of littlemisssquiggles’ Squiggle Scripts involving Yang telling the others of Raven being the Spring Maiden. As for Ozpin mentioning the Spring Maiden’s name, it was a suggestion from one anon credited as “Ms. Michel”.
> 
> Ciel being the winter Maiden is a very self indulgent idea on my end to make use of RWBY’s side characters.
> 
> My interpretation on the spirit of creation can be found here- https://miki-13.tumblr.com/post/183858991388/the-spirit-of-the-scepter-of-creation-could-be 
> 
> Aaaand this is where my original notes for Reconciliation end: with the group having laid down their piece to Oz only for Yang being honest too late to break them apart, and James being creepy at an android that looks like Ozpin.
> 
> :D
> 
> I’m also going to be going on a hiatus after this chapter and for the duration of RWBY Volume 7. 
> 
> (Dodges behind barricade with a yelp at the chorus of boos and yells and various rotten foodstuffs being thrown)
> 
> I know I know, I drop this on you and then go on hiatus, but I have reasons.
> 
> 1\. I won't be able to focus on writing when RWBY is out.  
> 2\. I'm also a little burned out, so I need to take a break. As I type this, it is around 3:30 AM.  
> 3\. I know my story is going to take a different direction than Volume 7, and I wanted to make the story up until this point to be as uninfluenced/detached/unbiased by canon as possible, with the exception being how Mantle is described (which was taken from the brief clip we got of QRWBY, JNR and Oscar fighting sabertooth grimm). I have my own plans for Reconciliation and some of it may borrow from Volume 7 and my own headcannons, but the plan for me was always to get to a certain point before the Volume aired.


End file.
